


Road to New Salem

by PyroPinkie



Series: Monster High Collective Universe [1]
Category: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra | Phantom of the Opera & Related Fandoms, Monster High
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crack Treated Seriously, I'm Sorry, M/M, Phantom Erik, Siren Raoul
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-11
Updated: 2018-08-15
Packaged: 2019-06-26 01:52:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 23,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15653340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PyroPinkie/pseuds/PyroPinkie
Summary: From the meeting of the Phantom and the Viscount to their marriage to the birth of their daughter to her enrollment at Monster High.





	1. Greetings from France

**Author's Note:**

> No Beta, we die like men.

The opera house was full of its secrets. Its new patron, Raoul De Chagny, was excited to discover them all.

Raoul hummed quietly to himself as he was chauffeured around by the old opera manager alongside the two new managers. They would be working together in the future, Raoul mussed. He began his own rounds around the Opera, after all three managers declared their leave. The Opera was a stunning maze of architecture that drew him in. He wanted to see all of the Opera house. The De Chagnys were known for their appraisal of the musical arts. Of course that was due to family's nature. 

Raoul fiddled with the white cravat tied around his neck. It felt stifling, but he was remiss not to wear it. His humming stopped when he heard another's music. It was an beautiful enchanting voice, hypnotic. Raoul rounded a corner, but the music had stopped. The hall he had entered ended with a single closed door, the changing room of Christine Daae. He had seen her at the announcement of the retirement of the previous manager, Lefevre. The music surely could not have belonged to her, it was different that what he had heard from her aria. It was beautiful, but not as haunting as the music he heard just now. The myth of the Opera phantom came unbidden to his mind alongside the memory of Carlotta's accident, and he quickly dispelled such thoughts. He turned to continue his rounds when he was accosted by the managers. 

"Ah, Vicomte! I think we have made quite a discovery with Miss Daae!" 

"Perhaps we could present her to you, Dear Vicomte."

Both managers stared eagerly at Raoul. He stared back at the two of them. Their enthusiasm of making money off Christine was astounding, before broaching, "Gentleman, if you wouldn't mind, I would like to make this visit unaccompanied." Raoul turned away from the two, leaving them to whisper about the nature of his relationship with Miss Christine Daae. He opened the doors to her dressing room. She was sitting at a vanity desk.

"Little Lotte let her mind wander. Little Lotte thought , 'Am I fonder of dolls, or of goblins, or shoes?'" 

Christine turned from her vanity mirror. "Raoul!" She wore utter surprise in her countenance. She stood up eagerly. The last time they had seen her had been many years past. In a different city, on the sea side. Raoul had ran into the ocean to rescue her scarf, struggling against every one of his instincts as he hit the water. They had gotten to know each other as children, days spent with her father, and music. Raoul sang more then, it was safer when he was younger. Raoul laughed as he took a step towards her. ", or of riddles or of frocks."  
He paused before he said her name almost reverently. Years apart from her had dulled any loving emotions towards her and instead molded them into familial affection. Christine sighed as she looked off, dreamily, into space. Both were washed away by nostalgia.  
"Those picnics in the attic."

", or of chocolates?"

"Father playing the violin." She smiled as she remembered the music. 

"As we read to each other stories of the North?" Raoul supplied. They had read many stories to each other as children, stories spanning many topics. They never shied away from books. Their favorites to read were fairy tales. Raoul remembered reading stories of the dozens regarding angels to Christine, as her father dutifully played the violin. 

"'But what I love best', Lotte said, 'is when I am asleep in my bed.'" She stopped walking and sighed. "', and the Angel of Music sings songs in my head.'"

"The Angel of Music." Both said together. "You sang like an angel, tonight. You have improved leaps and bounds." Raoul leaned forward for a hug, and Christine accepted. She blushed at the praise and the familiarity. "If I remember, Raoul, I will never sing better than you."

"Sing for me." She looked at him expectantly. Raoul adverted his eyes, once more fidgeting with his cravat. He couldn't sing, especially not for Christine. "I can't Christine. You give much appraise, when your memory unserves you." She looked disappointed at his aversion.

"My memory does serve me, Raoul. I remember." She seemed annoyed at the critique of her memory. But she brought the changing conversation back to her music. "Father said, 'When I am in heaven, child, I will send the Angel of Music to you.' Well Father is dead, Raoul." "I'm sorry, I didn't know." She brushed aside the comment, looking away to inspect flowers on her vanity. As Raoul looked, he saw flowers all around. Christine's performance was stunning and she deserved to be recognized for it. Raoul thought as much as he brushed his fingers over the smooth petals of a dark red Rose. 

"I have been visited by the Angel of Music." Raoul looked up and over to her back as she stood turned away from him. Christine was now standing in front of her mirror. Raoul could not tell if there was to be a meaning behind her words. Did she mean a tutor or was she teasing him and their memories. He couldn't tell, not with her face facing away. Raoul smiled slightly. Christine always was a dreamer and a fantasizer. He had no doubt that she didn't truly believe she had been visited by the Angel of Music. 

"Oh no doubt of it." He walked closer to her as she watched him approached in her mirror. His smile grew with sincerity. "Let us go to dinner, we have much to catch up on." he laid his hand on her shoulder in a calming gesture. He was ready to leave behind the fantastical talk of angels, and the grim topic of grief. She swirled around, fearful. Raoul let go of her shoulder and took a step back from her. 

"No Raoul, the Angel of Music is very strict." 

"Well I shan't keep you up late, just a meal." Raoul was amused, but cautious. Christine's words confused him and he didn't know how to respond to such. The idea of this Angel being a product of her imagination or just a joke still remained, though it was fading with each comment. Raoul laughed quietly. 

"Raoul, no." He didn't heed as he made way towards the door. "You must change, I'll order my carriage. It won't be but two minutes, Little Lotte." He reached the door and ignored Christine's 'Nos'. He let it shut quietly as he exited her dressing room. He again started his humming. A song that calmed him and as an effect, calmed others who heard. He felt eyes on him as he left, but dismissed them as a Vicomte was often watched in public places. He would have to hum quieter if he wanted to avoid more eyes. 

When he returned to her dressing room, he was stopped as he heard once again that haunting voice. It was chilling; a siren's call. He was frozen. Outside of his family he had never encountered another Siren. They were far and few between. Most still lived in seclusion, not venturing out onto land. As far as Raoul knew the largest nye of Sirens, was his own family. He was torn by excitement and fear of meeting another siren. When he tried the door he was alarmed to find it locked. He rattled the doorknob, trying in vain to unlock it. He was frozen once more, not in amazement, but now in fear when he heard Christine's voice. Did this siren mean harm to her? 

"Who is that voice? Who is that in there!?" He was alarmed, and he was scared for the safety for his friend. He could hear the mystery siren singing from the room, but he could no longer hear Christine. She had gone silent. He pushed his weight against the door violently. 

"Christine! Christine!"

He could no longer hear either of them. All singing had gone silent. With another shove the door at last budged and gave way. Raoul tumbled into her dressing room, but it was empty. The many candles that once lit the room were all out, a couple still smoking. Raoul was left standing agape in the dark room. He started, lurching forward, and began searching. He could not find a single exit for Christine to disappear into besides the large door from which he had entered. He paced around the room once again before leaving and beginning his search around the Opera. The Opera was now silent after the leave of every guest, the few he ever passed were those who lived in the opera. He searched the halls he had made his rounds through only just minutes prior twice, still with no site of Christine. With every hall his worry grew. When at last every one had retired, did he as well, too tired to continue. He ducked into a small office that had been set away for him. Raoul rushedly untied his cravat and threw it from him. He bowed over before slowly sitting in his chair, head low. He breathed hard, his gills flaring. Christine's fate hung heavy in his mind, before he passed out, head on his desk. 

He awoke to Andre and Firmin yelling. Raoul stood and bent over picking up his cravat. He tied it softly against his gills, and sighed. He stepped lightly towards his office door, and pushed it open. Outside the two were yelling about Christine's disappearance. 

"Andre, please don't shout...It's publicity! And the take is vast. Free Publicity."

"But we have no cast."

"Andre, have you seen the queue" Firmin paused when he saw a letter in Andre's hands. "Oh it seems you've gotten one too."

Firmin took the letter from Andre's hand. Raoul stepped forward and peered over Firmin's shoulders at the letter with a skull seal. He tore the wax from the paper and pulled out the paper inside. 

"Dear Andre, what a charming gala, Christine was in a word sublime. We were hardly bereft when Carlotta left; on that note, the diva's a disaster, must you cast her when he season's past her prime." Firmin took his own letter and repeated the process of opening it. 

"Dear Firmin, just a brief reminder. My salary has not been paid. Send it care of the Ghost by return of post, P.T.O. No one likes a debtor so it's better if my orders are obeyed."

Andre and Firmin guffawed over the letters, arguing over the gall of the sender. Raoul looked again at the letters and saw the signature to be, O.G. He was shook from his own conclusion when the two yelled, "Opera Ghost," before continuing to yell, now about the ridiculously of a ghost sending them letters. Raoul only stood by. He felt a sudden chill race down him and he felt eyes on him, but he turned and was faced with nobody. he adjusted his cravat, and began to hum. The effect was quick as the two managers calmed, but still argued over the letters. At least they were no longer yelling, Raoul sighed. He drew his gaze to the floor and squinted, puzzling over a very similar letter at his feet. He picked it up at tore at the wax. he pulled the note from inside and read. 

"Do not fear for Miss Daae. The Angel of Music has taken her under his wing. Make no attempt to see her again." Fear and anger coursed through Raoul. This was a threat that did not sit easy with him, and the subject of the note was too coincidental. This Angel of music seemed no longer a figment of Christine's imagination.

"Where is he?" All three men were surprised with the shout. Carlotta was fuming in the hallway. "Ah welcome back-" Andre started, but Carlotta quickly shushed him.

"Your precious patron, where is he?" Andre and Firmin floundered, gaping. Raoul stepped forward, the signs of a headache reaching his head. "What is it now?"

"I have your letter - a letter that I rather resent." 

"I have not sent any letter to you." Raoul sighed. They had no time for this, Christine was still missing. "You didn't send it?"

"Of course not."

"You dare to tell me that this is not the letter you have not sent?"

"And what is it I've supposed to have sent." Carlotta handed the letter to him, still fuming. Though based on what Raoul had seen the day before, she was always fuming. Raoul took the letter and began reading the words aloud. When he had finished both managers looked very annoyed. 

"We have been hearing a lot of Christine Daae as of the moment, far too much for my taste."

A voice that had appeared from the shadows, suddenly spoke up, interrupting all talk. "Christine Daae has returned." Raoul turned to see Madame Giry. He stepped forward relieved.

"Where is she now?"

Madame Giry placed her attention towards Raoul. "I thought best she be alone, she needs rest."

"May I see her" He was pleading. Madame Giry shook her head, refusing. "No, she will see no one."

Raoul could hear no more talk, he returned to his office and closed his door. Thankfully the voices faded and Raoul was left in quiet. But he was happy at the return of Christine. 

Christine quickly became the star of the opera, despite Carlotta's best efforts. That is of course what the Ghost wanted. Whenever the letters were disobeyed 'accidents' occurred through out the Opera house until they were listened too. It gave Raoul headaches, the managers found new and utter idiotic ways to keep disobeying the letters, for they still didn't see the connection between the letters and the accidents. Raoul felt his own anger with the Opera Ghost, the letter that kept him from seeing Christine. It had been weeks since he had last spoken to her, but he was seeing her more around the Opera as he made his rounds. 

He gave up trying to speak to her whenever she was near for Christine or another Opera worker would find some excuse to have her whisked away. Raoul had to content himself with a simple wave, smile, or nod Christine's way. She seemed happy, for she smiled often. Outside of his rounds he would see her as she preformed. He would sit in box five for many of the operas he attended. He would also enjoy operas without Christine. He became patron of the opera before he even knew Christine danced in them. It was luck seeing her again after all these years. At every opera he attended, he found himself singing along. He sang as quietly as he could though, almost whispers. He would never risking singing aloud in a crowd. While the operas entertained him, the Opera house disquieted him. He felt eyes on him all the time now, while he made his rounds, during operas, even when he was in empty rooms or hallways. He unnerved to say he was becoming used to the feeling. The feeling of being watched felt much more real as he sat watching operas. He tried calling out to somebody once during a rendition of the opera, Medee, but he was met with no returning answer. 

Raoul was musing over it all when he finally got an answer. He was again sitting in box five when he felt somebody sit next to him. 

"Keep your eyes straight ahead." Raoul complied against his curiosity and was left with no idea with whom he was sitting. The voice sounded frustratingly familiar, but Raoul couldn't place it. 

"I am a watcher over these operas, and this Opera house, and I have come to know you, Vicomte, for you spend much time in my house."

Raoul now had the answer to two questions. He knew who he was sitting to and he knew whose eyes were watching him. He felt anger course through him.

"I have done as your blasted letter has asked of me, why waste you time watching me to see that I adhere to it, phantom."

"Do not flatter yourself, Vicomte, I keep an eye on everyone in my opera." There was silence before the Phantom spoke once more.

"Box five is to be left empty. I encourage you to not enter it again."

The phantom did not speak again that night, and neither did Raoul. Only when the opera had ended did Raoul dare to look to the chair to his right. The chair was empty, evidently the phantom was long gone. Raoul puzzled over that fact as he never heard him leave. Was he so wrapped up in his own thoughts?

In the first time for weeks Raoul was able to speak to Christine. She had sought him out. He was sitting in his office when he heard the door creak open. He looked up to see Christine. She looked nervous and was shaking hard. Raoul stood up from his chair and make his way towards Christine. He held his arm out to comfort her but she didn't move from her spot inn front of the open doorway. Christine looked behind her before sprinting to Raoul. 

"Oh Raoul, I have seen his face. My Angel of Music. It scares me, Raoul. He-He loves me." Christine stopped with a sob. "Can I ever forget that sight? Can I ever escape from that face? So distorted, deformed, it was hardly a face. I feel nothing for him. I cannot love him. He wears a mask to hide it, but he holds an ugliness I can't get to leave my mind. It sickens me. I cannot gift him any love back, for I have seen his true nature." She let out a small laugh that sounded hollow to both Raoul and Christine. "I wish I had never seen the sight." Raoul didn't know how to comfort her. His mind was reeling to the answer of a third question. The siren voice and the Opera Ghost were one and the same. It filled Raoul's minds with thoughts of the Phantom, everyday Raoul learned more, and the mysterious ghost intrigued him more. Christine's rambles seemed to do nothing to calm her.

"Miss Daae." 

Raoul and Christine looked to the open doorway to see Madame Giry. Christine started wiping at her eyes, Raoul quickly handed her a small handkerchief. She took it and composed her self before following Madame Giry out of the office. Madame Giry let Christine past and closed the door to the office. Raoul stood still in the open. He looked at his desk and decided on a small walk to clear his mind and alleviate his concerns. He stepped out and locked his door behind him. He started down his usual rounds when, not even down the second hallway, was he grabbed. The hands pulled him into darkness. He felt pain, blooming from his skull, and then all he could see was darkness. 

"Welcome to the land of the dead, monsieur." 

Raoul blinked both of his eyes open. He winced at the light, but the softness of the candlelight was not burning. He tried to sit, but paused when a sudden pain shot through him. His hand shot to the back of his head, cradling it and easing the pain. Raoul opened his eyes again from when he clenched them shut. When his eyes focused he was greeted with the sight of a lake. Candelabra's appeared to be floating on the water. Puzzled and intrigued, Raoul used the hand not cradling his hand to push off the ground and stand up. He was standing in a dark cave, but candle's lit up the room. The ground sloped off into the water. The water was lapping calmly at the bank. Raoul took a step towards the water, hypnotized by the waves. It had been so long since he last swam. He took more steps until he was just a step away. Raoul watched transfixed as the waves pushed back before pushing forward, closer and closer to his feet until - 

"For someone who has been kidnapped, you are oddly keen on the lake."

Raoul turned. The spell over him shattered. He wasn't even aware of another being in the cave. The turn revealed much more to the cave. There were candles everywhere lighting up the large and cavernous space. There was an organ surrounded by compositions. Rugs and fabrics were hung up in pseudo-walls. There were even more random objects strewn about, yet Raoul felt there was still more to see. 

Standing in the middle of it all was the Phantom. For the first time, Raoul saw him. He was standing tall among the candles, dressed in black. The most intriguing thing Raoul could only focus on was the pristine white mask that covered half the face of the Phantom. 

"I wonder, Monsieur, why I was kidnapped. " Raoul suddenly remembered that this Phantom was the Siren. He squinted his eyes. He didn't look much like a Siren. "I ponder the sentiment more, for we are the same."

The unmasked portion of the Phantom's face twisted with Anger. With a swish of his coat, he was stalking towards Raoul. 

"I am nothing like you, fool." Raoul frowned. Did the Phantom not know? 

"You have ignored my commands. You've talked to Christine." The Phantom was now a foot away from Raoul. "She came to me!" Raoul was angry. This ghost had kidnapped him for nothing. "She needed comfort. It is my duty as her friend to help her. Would you deny that, monsieur?" The Phantom stopped in front of Raoul, and when he stopped Raoul realized he had yelled. He sighed in an attempt to calm himself. He couldn't conjure the peace through humming, not with the Phantom so close.

"Monsieur, hopefully you see that you cannot keep me here." With the Phantom so close Raoul saw more and more that led against the other man truly being a Siren. had he been wrong?

"Really, Vicomte? What's stopping me?" 

"The opera will likely notice that it's patron has suddenly and miraculously disappeared off the face of this Earth." The man before Raoul scowled. "And please, monsieur tell me your name so I may stop calling you simply, 'Monsieur'." The scowl did not alleviate from the Phantom's face, and for a moment Raoul swore that the opacity of the man flickered. Raoul's eyes widened, but he quickly tried to dismiss the notion as the figment of his injured head. He brought his hand up to his head and felt where there was soreness. Sure enough there was a quickly formed bump. The Phantom tired from watching the man inspect his own head and turned around to take a seat at his organ. 

"Regardless of the fact I may not be able to keep you down here, I warn you against disrespecting my commands again." The Phantom was turned away and staring at the organ. Raoul huffed, annoyed at this whole state of affairs. 

"You kidnapped me just for talking with her, what more could you do?"

"I could easily kill you, Vicomte." He was sneering, using the title like an insult. 

"Christine would never see you again." 

"Yes. She wouldn't. Be grateful, Vicomte, Christine is what keeps you alive." Raoul was growing more annoyed with the minutes. "Why must you keep me from talking to her? You have no control over Christine." In an act that surprised Raoul, the Phantom seemed to cave in one himself. The stoic man sat hunched over. 

"I do not, but I cannot have you be her suitor."

Raoul shifted on his feet. This new revelation, he found it uncomfortable. 

"I am no suitor for Christine. I have said it before, I am just her friend." The phantom scoffed. He swiftly re-adopted his formal stature, and sat facing Raoul, with his head high. 

"You say that now, Vicomte, but you are not fooling me." He stood up, looking down at Raoul. "So don't take me for a common idiot" The phantom was practically snarling. 

"I have never nor will I ever have the intention to court Christine. I will only love One, and they are not her, so can we stop with death threats if I talk to her?" The phantom looked disbelieving. 

"Can I hold to that?" He was eyeing Raoul now, suspiciously.

"I'm sure you would be watching regardless, monsieur."

"If you break your words, I do not hesitate to kill you." The phantom stepped down the slight incline, towards Raoul again. He continued closer until he walked past. Raoul shifted, turning to face the phantom as he past. He stopped twelve paces ahead and pointed to a small channel in the hall. 

"That tunnel will take you up to the Opera House. Keep you hands level with your eyes if you wish to keep your life." The Phantom turned back making his way back into the cave. He stopped next to Raoul. 

"Never come back here." 

"Monsieur." Raoul said in dismissal, heading for the tunnel. He brought his hands level with his eyes, and didn't look back as he traveled back up into the Opera House. 

Raoul stood in front of the Opera house. The 'trip' to the Phantom's home made him realize just how long it has been since he last transformed. He was in front of the Opera house as he was waiting for his carriage. It was going to take him to the De Chagny country home. His family had it built in the country, surrounded by trees for the security and privacy it accommodated. It sat next to a large lake. Nearly all of Raoul's siblings used the house and it's lake to swim when they had been cooped up on land for too long, like Raoul now. There were very few servants in the house. The normal De Chagny servants never visited the country home, the servants they did keep at the country house were Sirens themselves and able to keep the family's privacy. Raoul had needed some documents from his office within the Opera house that he planned on completing at the manor, and thus was waiting for his coach at the Opera instead of leaving from his house. Raoul pulled out his pocket watch. He frowned, his coach was taking a long time for what was normal. 

"Raoul"

He turned to see Christine at the foot of the stairs into the Opera. Her face was red from exertion, like she had been running. She hurriedly strode towards Raoul, but stopped a foot before him. 

"I-I heard from the stage hands. Are you really leaving?" Raoul sighed, it seemed he was doing that more often. The Opera house really was where gossip fostered. 

"I am not leaving for long, I will only be gone for a few days. You won't even notice i'm gone." He smiled. His words seemed to soothe her, but she was still tense. "Take me with you, just for a few days." She looked over her shoulder towards the Opera. Raoul winced. "I'm sorry I can't do that Christine. I would bring you with me, but I think you would be bored with the work I will be doing" He lied. He could hear the sounds of hooves against cobblestone and turned his head to see the carriage turning onto the street. He moved to angle himself to wards the street again, but stopped when Christine spoke. "Raoul, please." 

"Christine what is the matter?" The carriage had stopped behind him. "I do not want to be near Erik." The name puzzled Raoul. He knew nobody with that name, and nobody at the Opera, especially. "I'm sorry, Christine, I really must go. Will you be alright?" She took a step back, but nodded. Raoul turned and stepped into the carriage closing the door. It started and bounced as it bounded down the long road towards the De Chagny country estate. 

The estate really was beautiful, Raoul always found it a shame that they never hosted in this house. It was certainly larger than the house they did host in. Wild trees surrounded the house on all fronts. The only road to the house was a small dirt one that carried for nearly two miles before it reached the nearest town. No other houses were built in the area, and thus the forest remained quiet. Raoul buzzed with anticipation of seeing the house again. He had not visited it since his last sister married. He would fill his tub and use that to transform if he ever really felt stretched thin. The carriage rattled as it hit the dirt road and remained in the uneasy state for the duration of the trip. It slowed and halted at the gravel patch in front of the house. Raoul exited and grabbed his items from boot. He stood and watched as the stagecoach retreated. He did not move until the last of it faded from view. When he did move he turned and fished out a old key from his belongings. He strolled towards the door and fit the key into the lock. With a loud click he pushed open the heavy doors. He grabbed his bags at his feet and walked into the estate, letting the door close behind him. He was surprised to find many of the gas and oil lamps were alight. 

"Raoul!" A pleased voice greeted him. He looked up to his left at the large staircase. Halfway down and descending, was Philippe. Raoul laughed, surprised and confused. 

"Philippe I thought you were still in Paris." Philippe smiled, looking to tease. "Alas I was, but I have been here for the past two days." He reached the bottom of the stair case and opened his arm. Raoul trotted towards, returning the initiated hug. "Are you going to stay?" The smile dimmed. 

"I am afraid I can't, I wasn't aware you were even coming up here, it has been so long. But don't worry I will be getting out of your hair. You always enjoyed your privacy the most out of all of us."

"Ah-Philippe before you go. Did sister ever mention what she felt when she met her One?" Philippe hummed. "What is with the sudden curiosity over Ones."

"I am an adult, Philippe, and I have not met my One." 

"I have not met mine." Philippe said matter of fact. Raoul half-heatedly glared at Philippe. Philippe shrugged before saying, "There isn't much to say. I remember having this conversation with Eloise over lunch. She doesn't remember meeting her One much, just a vague feeling, a pull she described it. Aveline won't be much help either. She's mentioned, in fact that, she never felt anything. Her One felt a humming that grew louder when he was with her." 

"Why are you so curious, you have never asked before." 

"I want to meet my One. I want to know what to expect." Raoul paused. "Is it possible to have a One that is not a siren?" Philippe hummed thoughtfully. 

"I have never heard anything of that nature myself, but there is that one legend of a human women and male siren." If Philippe thought was helpful, Raoul certainly did not think so.

"They died at the end of that tale, Philippe." 

"Well, it is of no consequence, it's just a tale." He looked at his watch. "I really must be going now. Will you be alright alone?" Raoul nodded. He had been alone before, but Philippe always liked to worry. As he left through the front doors, Philippe stopped and patted Raoul on the head, saying his good byes just before the doors shut behind him.

The lake of the De Chagny manor was, in simple enough words to describe it's size, large. It was over three acres and spanned a depth of over 100 feet. If it's size didn't add to it's splendor, it's rich blue hue did. The water always sat calm enough to reflect the sky. During sunsets the water would take the brilliant pinks and oranges from the sky. Now the water was a tepid temperature as Raoul dipped his feet in. The De Chagnys keep and upheld a small dock at the edge of the lake just behind the house. The dock stretched over the water a good twenty feet. Currently, Raoul was sitting at the end as he basked in the warm air. He was dressed simply in a loose tunic, his pants rolled up to his knees. He had taken his cravat off long ago, and was breathing deeply through his gills. He wanted to simply sit before he transformed. When the sun had set did Raoul remove the rest of his clothing, folding it and placing it on the dock, and dove into the water head first. The transformation was instantaneous. His legs melted away into silvery scales, his nails became claws, his teeth grew sharp, and fins and webbing appeared out from his skin. 

Raoul opened his eyes to the dark waters of the lake. He felt alive and calm. He felt relaxed in every fiber of his being. He swam lazily around, swimming laps around in the water. It brought to mind his last transformation, which had been a long year ago. He shuddered at how far he let himself think he could last. His mind wandered to his first transformation, fifty years ago. 

Sirens lived as long as humans, but through their song they could prolong their lives. A Siren only needed to lure a human to death and feed on their life essence. It took the years men had left on their lives and transferred it to Sirens. It wasn't only a practice to add longevity to a Siren's life, but Sirens thrived on the essences and if one never practiced, they would wither away. The practice was much more common when the numbers of Sirens was higher. When the Sirens began to die out, did the practice begin to die out as well. But the remaining Sirens still practiced the transference in some fashion. Raoul never felt easy feeding on the lives of fellow men, he tried with animals as the rest of his family practiced, but found himself uneasy with that as well. Instead he only took animals close to the ends of their lives. It wasn't the best way to obtain the most essence, but it made Raoul easy, singing the nearly dead to sleep peacefully. To add more essence to his live span he had to practice with more animals than his siblings did. For it only allowed for him to gain at most a year from any one animal. 

He had been ten when he had first transformed. His father, brother and two sisters were there at the manor with him. They swam under the surface as Raoul's father eased him into the water. Raoul already knew how to swim, but not how to transform. He could feel a humming within him that urged him to transform and swim with his siblings. As his father instructed him on the nature of transforming, Raoul watched his sibling's eyes shining as they all held their head slightly above the surface, no longer playing. His father let him wade in the water for a minute before he lowered Raoul's head below the water. His sibling's lowered with him and he opened his eyes to see his siblings staring back at him. He could feel his need for air start to become stronger and he scrunched his face. He saw Eloise point to her gills and then to him. He clenched his eyes closed and pulled at the humming at something from within him. He was washed with a wave of pain that made his thrash in the water. He could numbly sense his father keeping him still and from hurting himself or his siblings in the confusion. It was pain from the human body morphing into something completely new. 

During that moment he thought of the day of, only hours before as he twitched from nerves and excitement, he remembered asking Philippe if there was any pain. 

"Yes." The answer was deft and it installed a sense of foreboding in Raoul. 

"But you forget it after it fades. The first transformation is the best, it's the most special. The ones after the first? They don't hurt because they aren't special, so don't worry Raoul." Philippe patted Raoul on the head. 

Eventually the pain faded just as Philippe said it would and Raoul could breathe. He swam clumsily as he adjusted to one tail, and not two legs, but he adjusted just as his siblings did before him, and he shot off into the water to play with them. 

As it turned out, Raoul stayed at the manor for a week. He mailed the Opera his generous donations, and spent the remainder of his days at the manor, swimming and sleeping. The return to the Opera had been anticipated and dreaded. Raoul looked forwards viewing operas again and enjoying the arts, but he dreaded getting back into drama that permeated behind the curtain. He had only just stepped into the main lobby, when a voice rang out. 

"And where has our special patron been for the past week?" 

"What I do outside the Opera should not concern you, monsieur phantom." 

"You are the patron of my opera house, when you signed the first check it became my business to know you."

"I feel touched, monsieur. I should get that in writing." Raoul attempted to walk on, he was in no mood for specters to ruin his day, but a tight grip on his shoulder kept him rooted. 

"Do not play games with me."

"Monsieur, I don't know why you persist." When he received no answer, Raoul turned and found the lobby empty. He turned on the soles of his feet and made his way to the start of his day. 

He had not heard from the phantom for a month. As much as Raoul resented admitting, he missed their conversations. They always skipped the pleasantries that dulled Raoul's life due to his title, and Raoul had never met a man with the wit the phantom exhibited. The phantom often consumed the thoughts of Raoul most days. He did not know how to get to the man in his own home under the Opera, it was luck he made it out of the catacomb mazes that one time. He didn't dare getting lost, in the dark,m away from water.

One of Christine's operas was playing that night, surely the phantom would be watching. So, Raoul made it his plan to sit in box five that night. 

Christine was starring in more operas. After her first debut as the main role her popularity only grew with each performance. Everyone was bound to want to hear more when they heard her voice. Her voice was beautiful and getting more so every performance. It seemed she was still taking her lesson with the phantom, even after confessing her unease of him to Raoul. Her voice was moving and incited passion in every role. She was much like a Siren, Raoul mused. Her talents as a human were boundless.

Raoul stopped, he was in front of Christine's dressing door. It seemed his thoughts had subconsciously led him to her. He smiled and knocked on the door. 

"I will be talking no more visits!" A voice yelled. Raoul was taken aback, but pressed on. 

"Not even from a friend?"

The door creaked open, and Christine peeked her head out. Her entire frame relaxed upon the sight of Raoul, letting the door swing wide. She smiled and said a jovial, "Raoul!" She pushed the door open all the way and quickly ushered Raoul in, closing the door behind her. The room was filled head to toe with flowers. Raoul had to step over a few as he made his way into the center of the room. "Where did these all come from?" 

"From fans, suitors, admirers, I suppose. They have been swamping me, Raoul." Raoul turned to look at Christine. She had her head back looking at the ceiling with her eyes closed. Her hands was rubbing at her temple. She looked back down at Raoul and smiled. "The life of an opera star is taxing, i'm learning." Her smile grew wider. "There are so many people who admire my voice." 

"How is you angel of music?" Her smile dimmed. She waved her hand. "Raoul, you know my feeling towards the phantom. Let's not talk of him." Raoul frowned. Raoul stood by as Christine prepared for her opera. He listened to her words of her success, but he wasn't there not really. His mind was in another place. Eventually Christine was called away to the backstage. The opera was beginning. Raoul left after Christine and walked to the boxes. Instead of stopping at Box four, he went on and stopped at Box five. The box was unlit and shrouded in darkness. And so Raoul waited. The box was silent for the entirety of the first act. Raoul's hope at seeing the phantom that night was dwindling fast. It was due to that fact that he was so surprised when during the second act, he heard the phantom's voice.

"Keep your eyes ahead." Raoul could feel the stare of the phantom on his back, and he itched to see the masked man's face. He twitched and his curiosity got the better of him. Raoul turned and looked into an empty box. His eyes widened. He heard the voice behind him and very close, "I warned you never to look." Raoul flung his head back and again saw no one, just the empty box. He gulped almost chocking on his own words. 

"I was wrong, monsieur. You are not like me." A beat passed. "What are you?" 

"You already know, Vicomte." The man's face appeared out of the shadows, headless with no body to call it's own. "I am the phantom of this Opera." He suddenly lunged forwards, his hands aimed for Raoul's throat. Raoul did only what he possibly could, he sang. And as strange as it was, singing to protect himself, it never failed a Siren, and the phantom stopped in his tracks. Raoul lowered his singing to a quite hum, unwilling to test the will of the man before him, but even more unwilling to test his power of the people below. The phantom stood frozen and shocked. But the shock did not last long and the impassiveness of the phantom returned.

"You know what I am, but I do not know what you are. And here I thought we were equals."

"You're right, station means nothing here, monsieur" The phantom glared. 

"You are averting the subject, Vicomte. I ask again, 'What are you,' that you can stop me with simply your voice?"

Raoul smiled grimly. "If we are sharing secrets, I will tell only when you tell me your name." A silence stretched between them. A silence that made Raoul realize that the opera had ended some time ago. A turn of Raoul's head downwards, showed empty seats and an empty stage. He quickly turned back when he heard the phantom whisper, "Erik." Raoul smiled.

"Well, Erik. Was that so hard?" Erik glared at him. Raoul sighed. "You can call me by my name instead of my title." He looked away. He couldn't believe that after the length his family went to their privacy, he was letting their secret out. Could he trust the spirit. He didn't know. He could only pray that Erik would hold his secret like his own. "I am what humans call a Siren. We go by other names; binders, Mermaids, Undine, whatever fits your fancy." He was rambling. Phantom looked unamused. 

"Do you think me fool enough to believe in such things as Sirens?" Raoul looked confused. "You are a spirit, Erik. But a Siren is too much for you?"

"I am simply the dead, prolonged. You claim to be a creature of myth." Erik watched confused as Raoul began to untie his cravat. "What are you doing?" Raoul didn't answer, only finished untying the knot and slid the the cloth off. He pulled his shirt collar down and displayed to Erik his very non-human gills. For the second time that night, the phantom looked very surprised. Erik reached out an felt the gills. Raoul made a face at the uncomfortable feeling, only relaxing when the phantom removed his fingers.

A sudden question overcame Raoul. "How long have you been dead, Erik?" He sounded concerned, and he was. It didn't seem like the man got much company outside of Christine and Raoul knew what his home looked like. He shivered, he could never imagine a life, an eternity with the support of his family. 

"I haven't counted the years, Raoul, but it has been many." Raoul frowned, he felt a sudden sadness. 

"keep your pity away, I get enough from Christine. Don't feel pity for something you will never understand, you can't ever imagine the long years I have lived."

"Do not underestimate me, Erik. I have lived fifty years. It is not time that makes feel your grief, I feel it for I cannot imagine the loneliness. For it would drive me insane. Sirens are social creatures. We are not made for solitary lives." The phantom sat as he regarded Raoul.

"You say you are of fifty years, but you do not look it. Though I now can be sure you will just say it is due to your Siren species." Raoul nodded, laughing a bit. "You guess me well."

A moment of silence stretched between them when suddenly Raoul perked up. "Erik, the water in your home, it is a lake, yes?" Erik nodded slowly. Raoul's grin grew. 

"Would you mind if I used it to transform. I need to do so every now and again. It won't be often, I went a year without doing so, and I swear to not disturb you." Erik couldn't look at Raoul, who was looking at him so earnestly, and say no. 

Raoul true to his word did not appear in Erik's home for some time. He heard a splash of water and then quiet. Occasional he would see a shine of silver, flashing under the water, before it would it would disappear as quickly as it appeared. The second visit was as similar to the first. No words were shared between the two. Erik would hear the splash of entry then a couple hours later he would hear Raoul leave. The third visit was much closer in time to the second, than the second had been to the first. Erik had learned to ignore the flashes of reflected light and was at his organ when he heard a low sound that built in intensity. It took a moment for him to realize that the noise was a song. The acoustics of the cave intensified the sound and let it echo around. Erik listened for a moment longer, entranced. The song was sorrowful, a mourning song. At some point in the display, words were added. Erik couldn't understand them, but the echos turned the single voice into a choir. 

"Wîte duguð brytenwangas ðæt snappish below æt ðone as canyons cl¯æne wide. Hear duguð ongalnes orgilde êað−môd mourning. For duguð lost hûru lonesome bridgifu. On wægn hill æghwæðer gem¯æst valley. Where duguð rêotig beobread hide. From wægn hlêoðorcwide orgilde sýfre mourning. For duguð lost hûru lonesome bridgifu. Now mâl roams ymbe hill æt valley. And dôð canyons onhlîdan wide efenhleoþor songs un−l¯æd liðewâcian mourning. For duguð lost hûru lonesome bridgifu. For duguð lost hûru lonesome bridgifu."

The music put to shame any opera that would play later that night. It had Erik frozen at his seat. He couldn't see Raoul singing such a song as despairing as that. Raoul's slow words faded into only echos, and even those stopped as if they couldn't carry the notes no more. When the music faded from his mind and the fog that covered his thoughts cleared, Erik realized he wasn't as frozen as he had thought. He was standing in the lake water, his pants and feet drenched. 

Raoul suddenly appeared on the other side of the portcullis, smiling wide. The action disturbed the water, and Erik watched the ripples spread over the usually calm lake. "Erik! You didn't tell me you had fish living in this lake." Raoul's enthusiasm for the discovery was a startling contrast to the song he just heard. 

"I didn't think it mattered." Raoul pulled his arms through the bars of the portcullis, resting them on the other side, and keeping his upper body out of the water. Erik could now see just how different Raoul was in the water. There were thin silver fins on his arms, that appeared see-through. Erik already knew of the gills on Raoul's neck, but there were more gills lining Raoul's rib cage and around his side. He could see small silver scales grouping together the further down Raoul's torso, until they formed the tail, a seamless shift from skin to scale. When Raoul smiled, Erik could see all of his teeth were sharp, for the first time realizing what a danger Raoul could be. Then he noticed a large dead fish in Raoul's claws, and he grimaced. "You don't plan on eating that do you?" He gestured at the fish. Raoul looked offended. 

"What? No, of course not. It's not even cooked." Raoul scoffed at the ludicrousness of the notion. 

"They why are you holding a dead fish?" Raoul spluttered, before slowly lowering at the fish into the water, looking at it sadly. The fish started floating on the water, and Raoul slunk back into the water as well. 

"Don't leave a dead fish there, Raoul!" The yell echoed. Erik stood and watched as the fish was suddenly and violently pulled under the water. He sighed, again grimacing, now at the state of his clothes, and trudged out of the water. 

The forth visit was again closer to the last. Raoul was also getting braver. He would occasional breach the water and just float atop staring at the ceiling before ducking back under with a quiet splash, or sometimes he would swim around at the surface, occasionally hitting the water with his tale. The fifth visit was much the same, though Raoul tried occasionally to strike up conversation. He would ask Erik what he was doing whenever he poked his head up and out of the water. Erik for the most part ignored him. When Erik played on his organ, he could feel Raoul watching him, even heard him humming along quietly. When Erik was done, he turned behind him. Raoul smiled and slid off the rock he was perched on and back into the water. 

"Erik, why don't you let the opera play your music. Your very talented." Erik's form shimmered in and out of view in annoyance. It was Raoul's sixth visit into his home. Said man was currently perched on a rock near the shore, of which he declared his rock. Raoul was being very talkative this visit and it was starting to get to Erik. He breathed in slowly and then out, calming himself, his form settling on tangible. 

"Because the managers would never put on a play given to them by the Opera ghost." Erik turned to peer at Raoul, leaning backwards on the organ. Erik was surprised to see Raoul resting his head on his crossed arms, looking extremely put out. "That is a shame." Erik nodded. "All music should be shared, especially yours."

"Why not yours?" 

"Erik, you know why I can't do that." Raoul admonished. It was true, during Raoul's fifth visit into Erik's home, they had talked about music, and Erik brought up the same line of questioning. Erik learned that Raoul was afraid. He was afraid what his music would do to the crowd. Raoul had explained the Siren's practice of transference. Raoul was afraid he would sing one song of passion, of death, or battles, and cause a riot or temporary madness in the listeners. Erik opened his mouth to tease Raoul more when he was shushed. He tried again and was given with a resounding, "Quiet," from Raoul. He stood up to argue with Raoul, but stopped when he said, "Do you hear that?" Erik closed his mouth and listened. Sure enough he could hear the sound of the lake water hitting his small wooden boat, and the sound of the oars paddling in the water. Raoul lowered himself behind his rock but made no more move to escape further into the water. The sound got closer, and the sight of Christine rewarded him from the open threshold. Erik had begun leaving the portcullis open for Raoul to swim as he pleased, and cursed himself when he realized he had forgotten all about Christine and their lessons. 

"Monsieur, you have neglected our lessons." She paddled closer and drew the boat onto the ground. She left the paddle in the boat and stepped out, careful of not getting her dress wet. Erik offered his hand to help her get out, and she hesitantly took it. He hid it but, Erik was equal parts sad and angry whenever she showed hesitance like this. He led her to the organ and they sat down on the bench. 

Raoul watched from behind his rock as Christine paddled into the lair. His rock was well into the darkness of the cave that Christine wouldn't see him, not with her eyes not used to the darkness. He only prayed she wouldn't turn and she his eyes glowing in the dark. He doubted Erik would be able to play it off as candle light. 

Raoul was confused. He was confused by Christine's actions. She had told him herself that she disliked Erik, and was afraid of his face, so why would she willing come down here. Raoul was saddened when the thought that Christine was simply using Erik to promote her singing passed his mind. 

Erik and Christine's voices on their own were amazing. This was from the opinion of a Siren, who would know a thing or two of good vocals. Together they were more. As Raoul watched them singing together as Erik played the organ, it seemed as if they belonged. Raoul looked away, queasy. The idea sat heavy with him. He watched them sing for a minute more before slinking back into the water and leaving the lair. 

Erik had only seen Raoul once after Christine's visit. It had been nearly two months, and Erik was bereft to say he had begun to expect to see Raoul form swimming in or at the surface of the water. When Raoul did not show at the one month mark, Erik was, well he didn't know what word would describe the emotions he felt. Disappointment seemed like one. A week after holing himself in his work, he went up to the surface to see Christine. He hoped to procure the answer from Christine, but she seemed alarmed by his questioning and had begged him not to harm Raoul. He couldn't get a word in edgewise. He left when Christine's back was turned to ask Madame Giry. She didn't have a concrete answer, only that the opera's patron was supposedly at his home and hadn't left in some time. When, at night, he made his trek towards the De Chagny manor in Paris, and found it only full of a few servants, he was-Erik couldn't describe it again. In the time after, Christine was busying herself with her next opera and he didn't see much from her. Nor from madame Giry. Raoul was still at large. Some days Erik wouldn't move. He realized he missed the activity and liveliness that Raoul had entered into his afterlife. Other days he poured away into his music. It was a couple days after the second month mark that he heard the familiar splash of water. He saw the glimmer of silver drawing closer to him very fast. When it reached the shoreline, Raoul jumped out of the water and onto the ground. Erik's eyes widened, he had never really seen Raoul's tail. It looked almost white, and sparkled like gems in the light. The fin of the tail actually faded into a blue, with speckles of silver dotting the transition of color. Erik looked back up at Raoul's face and saw that Raoul was smiling expectantly. 

"Turn around." Erik was shook out of his shock. "What." The tone was harsh and Raoul grimaced, but repeated his words. Erik felt justified in his anger. Raoul had left without a warning for two month, suddenly reappeared and has the gall to tell him to turn around.

It was then that Erik saw Raoul holding a box. Erik slowly turned around, indulging Raoul if just for a moment. He heard Raoul shifting behind him, and the opening of a lock. For the next minute he heard only the shuffling of Raoul and what sounded like clothes. "It's okay, you can turn around now." Erik turned. Raoul was standing at the edge of the water, the box was empty.Erik realized that Raoul had been getting dressed. Rather fancy he looked. 

"Shy are we, Raoul?" Raoul, blushed and turned his head to the side, rolling his eyes. "I prefer to get dressed in privacy, Erik." 

"Then why do it in my home?" Raoul huffed.

"I cannot wear clothes through the transformation, and it's easier to get here through the water," he paused, "but that is not the point, Would you like to go with me to tonight's performance?" 

"You've never asked me to attend with you before." Raoul smiled. 

"Tonight's is special."

"What's so special, I haven't heard anything about any anniversary, and there are no holidays near."

"Come with me and you will see."

"I have no choice in this, if I am to satiate my curiosity, do I?"

"Oh don't act as if this is a trial, just come to Box five at seven tonight."

Raoul fidgeted in his seat. The performance was not starting yet, but Raoul had arrived early. He watched as stage hands prepared for the night. He hoped that Erik would show tonight. If not, then this whole affair was for nothing. Slowly people filed into the Opera house, finding seats in boxes and in front of the stage. The light were dimming, and Raoul was worried Erik wouldn't show up after all. He had begun to fidget with his cravat when he heard, "That's a nasty habit to have, Vicomte," whispered into his ear. He shivered and turned, a smile on his face. "Erik!" Erik was wearing his large cloak, that Raoul gad not seen in some time. He took his seat next to Raoul and both turned towards the stage. Andre stepped out to the center and clasped his hands together. 

"Ladies and Gentleman, tonight we have special performance before our opera. Our lovely patron has given us a short piece, the work of an anonymous composer to share with you." Andre bowed and walked off stage. The curtains pulled back to reveal the orchestra seated on the stage. Erik turned to look Raoul, confused, but Raoul's gaze was kept pointedly ahead. The orchestra started their piece, a dramatic score. A score Erik instantly recognized as one of his own. 

"How did you do this?" He was amazed. Even in the dark, Erik could see Raoul blush. 

"During one my visits to your home, I glanced at one of your scores. I've spent the last two months recreating it to the best of my memory. It wasn't hard to convince Andre and Firmin to play it. I told them it was from a composer friend of mine who wished to remain anonymous. I also increased the amount of my donations to the opera for this performance."

They listened to the score. Erik had to admit, Raoul had remade it masterfully. Raoul appeared to be enjoying the orchestra's rendition of the score. He was smiling. It wasn't that long of a piece and when it was over the curtains closed shut as the opera house prepared for it's opera of that night. Raoul turned to Erik in his seat. "Did you like it?" Erik nodded. It was an exceptional gift. He turned to tell Raoul as such and was met with the man's lips on his own. Erik stood still, stunned, but was shaken when Raoul's hand slipped under the mask to rest on Erik's face. Erik drew back as if stung and pushed Raoul back. Raoul tumbled to the floor and in the process accidentally brought Erik's mask down with him. When Raoul got a hold of himself, he began to apologize profusely. "I'm sorry, I misunderstood. That won't ever happen again. I'm sorry." Raoul set the mask on the chair and disappeared out of the box.

He made his way to the roof of the Opera house and sat. The cold air was a comfort. He sat outside in the wind and snow, for some time. He was extremely cold, but he didn't wish to leave just yet to the quiet of his house. He wasn't sure that if he left he'd ever be able to show his face at the opera. He shivered but didn't move.

He was knocked from his reprieve when warm arms snaked around his and he was drawn against a warm chest. He began to draw away, thrashing in the arms, but was stilled by Erik's voice. "Be still." Raoul did, but he frowned.

"Erik, you don't have to see me." Erik's hand pulled Raoul's face towards his own. Raoul was surprised to see the mask was nowhere to be seen on the phantom's face. "You aren't wearing your mask." 

"You don't seem frightened." 

"You are very warm for a spirit." Erik laughed, a surprising sound. Raoul didn't think he had ever heard him laugh. "Erik if you have come up here to -" Raoul was cut short when Erik was suddenly kissing him. Raoul eagerly kissed him back, but pulled back when he needed to breath. "I don't understand. If this is a sick jest..." Erik looked at him eye to eye. 

"This is no jest, Raoul."

"Then why did you push me away?"

"I was surprised. I didn't expect you to touch my disfigurement. I didn't mean for you to think I didn't feel for you, and I certainty didn't mean for you to run off." Raoul leaned back into Erik, and smiled.

"I care not for what you look like, but when I see your face I see only your beauty." Erik pulled Raoul closer to him. They sat on the roof, until Raoul again shivered, and Erik brought him back inside. Both were smiling. 

Raoul hoped to share more smiles in the future.


	2. Greetings from New Goreleans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1946 - 2010

Raoul smiled, excited as he walked down the streets of Paris. In his hand, he clutched the flyer of a traveling gypsy circus. Behind trailed, Erik. He had his hood over his head, covering it from anybody's view. While Raoul was exited to see the circus, Erik was less so. Raoul knew of Erik's childhood, as told to him by Erik and Madame Giry, but Raoul swore to Erik that this circus wouldn't be like the one from his childhood. In recent years, circus's became more regulated and less of a freak show. In the seventy years he had know Erik, the world evolved around them, and so had circuses. And if Erik started to panic or shut down, Raoul was resolved to bring Erik straight back to their home and keep him away from the circus as along as it stayed in France. 

To keep himself alive to live with Erik, Raoul practiced transference very often. He couldn't parade as himself after seventy years, so he did the same as his siblings. After they had all became adults, their father stopped practicing transference and slowly died, but was reunited with their mother in death. His siblings still practiced however. Every time they had stayed in a city too long with the appearance of aging, they would move. Raoul was supposedly his own grandson. Philippe was his own great grandson. At every party that Philippe hosted, he would make a show of sleeping with various people, without actually doing so for he had met his One thirty years ago, so whenever he re-invented himself people would simply assume he was simply an illegitimate child that just looked eerily familiar. 

Raoul and Erik currently lived in Bourges. When Raoul first had to move he was distressed about bringing it up with Erik. The opera house was Erik's life and his death. He avoided the subject for as long as he could, but eventually people began rumors and whisperings about his age and looks. They wouldn't believe that he was simply baby-faced, even as an adult, forever. It was Erik that first brought the subject up. Raoul had been lying across Erik's lap as they sat on a chair in Erik's home. Raoul refused to take Erik away from the Opera, but Erik was also the one to push for the move. When they finally did move, they staged the death of Raoul De Chagny as a drowning. The De Chagny family set in motion Raoul's funeral. They buried an empty casket as Philippe, by then parading as his own son, said the final words about his 'uncle'. The Opera house, then under new management, had celebrated the disappearance of the Opera Ghost for good. After the first move, the two moved again another time before their most recent move. Erik still composed and would occasionally submit Operas anonymously to an Opera house. They still visited the Opera Populaire. Every year during August, Raoul would travel to Paris and visit Christine's grave as well as her father's. Occasionally Erik would join as well. The first time he had gotten back from a visit to Christine's grave, Erik told him that Christine was currently in the strange version of the afterlife ghost's had with her father. Erik said she was happy. The eased some of Raoul's grief over the death of his friend. He didn't know how Erik had gotten the information, but he didn't doubt it. Other times the two visited Paris, they would both visit Madame Giry's grave. 

The circus was very crowded. It was bustling with people. There were several attractions around that people were surrounding. One attraction that intrigued Raoul was the fortune teller. The tent that advertised it seemed rather empty so he jogged towards it, dragging Erik with him. Raoul pulled aside the curtain of the tent as they entered. It was dark inside with a few candles lining the room. Raoul was surprised at the choice of using candles since light bulbs had long since been around. In the center of the room was a table. The table was covered by a dark purple cloth. A deck of cards and a small glass orb sat on the table. 

"Welcome, welcome." Raoul and Erik looked up at a women. She had come in from another room, dropping the curtain behind her. She smiled warmly and gestured for Raoul to take a seat. He sat on the one chair at the table. Erik stood behind him. The woman stood at the other end of the table, when she suddenly grabbed Raoul's hands, inspecting them. "Ah, I see you have lived a content life." She looked up at Erik and smiled. "You've had everything you ever wished for." She paused, smiling. Raoul tensed. Erik sensing, Raoul's unease, tensed as well. Her grip on his hands was starting to be painful. "But I see there is something you don't have. Something you can't have." She dropped Raoul's hands suddenly. "I can give what you want to you."

"I don't understand, I am quite content with what I have."

"I'm sure you are, but even with all your years, this is something you won't be able to know you've wanted until you have it." She clapped and grabbed a small pouch from her skirt. She handed it to Raoul. "Eat this and you will have what you want." Raoul hesitantly took the pouch, He could feel Erik pressing against his back as he too looked at the pouch. When Raoul looked up again, the woman was gone. "Where did she go?"

"I don't know." 

"And here I thought you were the master of disappearing theatrically." Erik snorted and took Raoul's hand pulling him up and out of the chair. When he stood, Raoul felt a wave of dizziness hit him. He held his hand to his head. He could feel Erik pulling him closer to himself, as he guided Raoul out of the tent. When they got outside, Raoul felt the dizziness fade. He put his hand to Erik's shoulder and steadied himself. Erik still held his hands out, but Raoul shook his head. "I'm alright now, just a spell of dizziness." He smiled. "But I think I've had enough of the circus." Erik nodded, eager as well to leave the place.

At their home, now night, Raoul sat on his bed. He was staring at the velvet pouch in his hands. His curiosity finally bested him and he opened the pouch, pulling at the golden string. He lifted the pouch and let whatever was inside fall into his palm. Nine dark purple grapes fell into his hands. He looked into the pouch to see if there was nothing more. Sure enough there was a note inside. "Eat one grape a month and you will have what you wish for so much." Raoul was so curious, he wanted to know what the gypsy woman thought he wanted. He knew Erik wouldn't let him eat the grapes, in fear they might have been drugged or poisoned. But Raoul listened, he ate one grape a month until all nine grapes were gone. He never told Erik. On the first day of the tenth month, Erik and Raoul were woken by wails. They ran to source, and found one of the many rooms in their house, outfitted as a nursery. Inside was a crib, a crib where the noise was coming from. Inside the crib was a baby wrapped in a bundle of white cloth. The baby's skin was a faded purple color, that made Raoul's mind jump to the rich purple of the grapes. Raoul lifted the baby, rocking it, to calm it. When his sisters' children had been born, he taught himself to take care of a baby to be an appropriate uncle to them. Raoul never imagined he would need those skills in a situation like this. He hummed as well, calming himself, as well as the baby and Erik.

Erik peered into the crib. On the pillow was a letter. He read it aloud, at Raoul's inquiring look. "You have what you desired but couldn't never receive." Raoul puzzled over the baby. He pulled back the pale cloth and was surprised to three dark lines on her neck. They were what every Siren child bore. They marked where their gills would grow after their first transformation. A thought was creeping into Raoul's mind. He put his finger to the child's neck and felt for a pulse. He was surprised but as he suspected there was no pulse, this child wasn't alive, not in the conventional sense. Like Erik, the baby wasn't alive. 

"Erik." said man, looked up at Raoul. "Look." He peered over to look at the child, he saw the same marks, recognizing them from Raoul's nephews and nieces. "It has no pulse."

"But it was just screaming, we heard it." 

"I think it is a phantom, like you."

"But it has the gill marks, it is a Siren." Erik was confused. Raoul grimaced.

"I never told you. Do you remember the circus that came through Paris nine months ago?" Erik nodded, cautious and slowly. "The fortune teller gave me a pouch, you remember. I opened the pouch when we got home. Inside there were nine grapes, and a letter telling me to eat one a month. Well I did, and now, there is this child. A phantom and a Siren." He paused. "I think it's ours."

"But how?"

"There is magic in this world, you are a ghost and I am a Siren. We have met other creatures. I think that gypsy was able to grant us this wish."

 

"Raoul! Raoul!" Raoul looked up from his desk, panicked. He rushedly stood up, knocking over his chair. He threw the door open and raced down the hallway, towards Erik. 

"What's happened? Is it Operetta? Are you okay?" He was very panicked. He raced down the stair and rounded the corner into the hallway where their bedrooms were. The door to Operetta's room was open. He rushed inside and nearly hit the door frame. Instead of any horrid scene he thought that would await him. Erik was simply sitting on the floor on his knees with Operetta sitting across from him. 

As Operetta grew, Erik and Raoul had to experience and learn new things. Operetta was neither a phantom or a Siren, but was both, and wasn't like any child before her. She aged slower, they'd learned. It seemed that four years for Operetta was only one. It had been five years since Operetta first appeared in their lives, literally. She seemed to have inherited certain aspect from each of them. She had the singing talents of a Siren, But neither Raoul nor Erik knew if she needed transference yet. Usually Sirens's didn't practice transference until after their first transformation, but everything was up in the air. Operetta could sometimes change the intangibility of her body, but she had much less control over it that Erik did. It also seemed that Operetta had inherited scars on her face. Erik was devastated that that was what she inherited from him, But Raoul comforted him saying that it made her special, and beautiful. And Raoul wasn't lying, their child was very unique and wonderful.

It was only three years ago that they even saw the scars. As she grew the scars which had been almost invisible, had started to appear as the skin grew around them. It was when they first noticed her scars, that they realized they needed Operetta to see Erik's face. It would be better for her to see his face before she was old enough to know it was't normal. Neither Raoul or Erik could stand the thought of Operetta being scared of Erik. They day they showed her, Raoul had been holding her, keeping her attention. Erik was in their room, psyching himself up as he removed his mask. Raoul was in Operetta's room and waited for Erik to walk in. When he did, Raoul smiled. He walked over and kissed Erik on his scared cheek. "Are you ready?" Erik nodded and Raoul handed Operetta to him, gently. Erik held Operetta looking down at her unsure. Operetta looked up at Erik. Even at such a young age, she could see the difference with Erik with his mask off. She lifted her small hands and patted both of his cheeks, giggling. Raoul laughed with her as Erik stood, frozen. Eventually Erik relaxed and looked at Raoul, smiling.

 

Raoul smiled at the sight of the two of them sitting on the floor. Erik was staring impassively at Operetta, but Operetta was giggling. They learned that Operetta seemed to like that face that Erik made. 

"What was all that screaming about." Erik turned and smiled warmly. "You missed it, Raoul, she stood up on her own." Raoul's smile grew. He took a seat next to Erik and looked at his daughter. "I can't believe I missed something like that." 

"Watch." Erik leaned forward and picked Operetta up gently, letting her feet dangle from below her. He set her down on her feet and slowly retracted his hands. Instead of falling Operetta stayed upright. Erik looked at Raoul, smug. Raoul laughed. Erik had taken to Operetta very quickly, he loved her and was protective of his daughter. Raoul had been worried that Erik would be unwilling to taking care of the child, but he had been so wrong, his fears so unfounded. 

They watched as Operetta stood on her own. Raoul clasped his hands together so proud. Operetta looked at Raoul when he did and made grabbing gestures with her hands. Raoul opened his arms out to pick up Operetta but stopped, amazing when she took a clumsy step towards the two of them. Raoul brought his hands to his face, surprised. "Erik!"

"I'm looking." Erik was wide-eyed. Operetta took more steps towards them, before clumsily falling into Erik's arms. Erik brought her up to his chest, holding her close. The two of them were awestruck, and very happy. Erik looked down at Operetta who was now asleep in his arms. It was then that Raoul felt it necessary to broach the topic of which he had been working on at his desk a moment prior. 

"Erik, it's almost time to move again." Erik sighed. 

"I know." 

"I found a place that I think would be perfect this time. It's far but I think worth it."

"Where is it?" Erik was apprehensive. "It's in New Orleans. But before you say no. I think it might be good." Raoul paused before started again, "There is a Opera house there in need of a new Manager, the old one died rather recently. Think of it, Erik, you could finally have an Opera that you own without interference. I could be a patron again, and Operetta can be raised among the arts. I know how much you want that." He patted Operetta's head, smoothing her red hair. 

"That's not all I presume." Raoul smiled. 

"Your right, there is more. The Opera house is on a river. I wouldn't have to travel back to the De Chagny manor to transform. And if Operetta ever transforms then we have somewhere close by to take her to." 

"This is the best part, Erik. The population of New Orleans if primarily ghost and spirits." Erik's eyes widened. "In fact, they have unofficially given the town its own nickname; New Goreleans. It's perfect, we wouldn't have to move. We could stay in one place for once."

The New Orleans Opera house was large. Not as large as the Opera Populaire, but it was close. It sat against a river just as Raoul said. Behind Erik stood two stagecoaches, full to the brim of most of all their belongings, Raoul had planned on bringing over their furniture slowly. Operetta was asleep in Raoul arms, tired from the trip. Raoul walked up behind and Erik and leaned into him. "I've instructed the coaches to unload our stuff and bring it into our living quarters. Should we enter now?" Erik nodded. They had met the previous manager's son yesterday who gave them the keys to the Opera house and various paperwork that Raoul insisted on working. Raoul was only patron in name but fully planned on helping Erik in his endeavors at the Opera house. They walked into the Opera house and were greeted with a chorus of 'welcomes.' Operetta shifted in Raoul's arms. Before them stood the cast and opera employees, ghosts and humans together. Raoul and Erik were surprised but Raoul quickly greeted them back. " Hello, I am Raoul De Chagny, and this is my daughter, Operetta De Chagny. I am the patron of the Opera and I am pleased to be working with you all." Erik had no last name to pass onto Operetta but both were happy to instead pass on the De Chagny name. "This Is Erik." Raoul gestured to Erik. Erik gestured to Raoul for him to stop, and instead made his own introductions. "I am your new manager, I expect this Opera House to run smoothly, nothing should be short of perfect. You may call me Sir, not Erik."

The Opera house workers didn't know much about their new patron and manager, only that they had experience with Opera Houses. This exited them, for the previous manager was good, but he wasn't that experienced. 

Erik insisted on coaching all singers himself. He refused to have a singer like Carlotta in his Opera House. Every week they would all gather on the stage and Erik would teach them. He was strict, but all their voices improved steadily. The cast and crew accepted Erik as one of their own very quickly. The humans were used to Ghosts and Erik was nothing new. The Ghosts were exited to have another like them among their ranks. There was a large enough variety of ghost and spirits and phantoms that even Operetta was accepted very easily. Everyone in the Opera House doted on the young girl. And Operetta loved the opera house, she would run around inspecting every corner. She loved to travel in hidden passage ways like Erik. 

It was Raoul that took the longest to be accepted into the Opera House. They humans knew he wasn't like them and the Ghost knew that as well. Raoul was a foreign intrigue. Rumors spread around about what he could be, and Raoul laughed at all of them. Occasionally someone would hear him sing, but Raoul was very good at not letting any one see him transform in the river. After the cast and crew realized that whenever Raoul sang, he could calm them, they would swamp him during the stressful moments of the Opera House. Whenever they were putting on a new performance or Erik was being too demanding. The Ghosts of the House began to dote on Raoul much like they did with Operetta. Whenever the House was really busy and Raoul was being particularly swamped, Erik would drag him away from the others, leaving them to their protests, much to the amusement of Raoul. 

Operetta was forty when she started showing signs that she needed to transform. Operetta used to sing around the House, but when she did, people started to freeze as if a trance. The first time it happened, Raoul hadn't even noticed as a Siren's voice could never affect another Siren, Erik had been in company with Sirens for so long that he had grown a strong immunity to its magic. Raoul had been talking with a girl, a ballerina from the House. A young ghost, only deceased for about six years. Operetta had been trailing behind them singing as well as she could in the Siren language. Raoul had tried to teach it to her. He thought it would be easy, as Sirens knew it instinctively, but she wasn't fully Siren and she had trouble remembering some words, so she sang in a mix of French, English, and Tragoúdi. Raoul had stopped talking to get the opinion of the girl when she didn't respond, he looked around to find her several paces behind, a strange look on her face. 

"Operetta?" She looked up at him, confused. "Sweetie, can you stop singing for me, please." She nodded and stopped. The haze disappeared from the girl's face. "I'm so sorry, sir I don't know what came over me." She looked a little scared. "It's alright, why don't you head back and get some rest." He sang the words a little to calm her down. She nodded and left down the hall. Raoul bent down on one knee and looked at Operetta. ''Sweetie, can you do me a favour?" She smiled and said yes. "Can you try and not sing too much in front of other people, your singing can affect them."

"Like yours?"

"Yes, like mine." Raoul smiled. "And you know I don't sing around other people."

"You sing for Dad." He laughed. "Yes, well Dad can take it, other people can't. Can you do this for me?" She nodded, a serious look, which only looked cute on her ten year old face. 

When Raoul mentioned the incident to Erik, he was confused. "Her singing has never affected anyone before now." "Well my singing was harmless before my- Oh."

"What is it."

"I've told you before, when a Siren turns ten, they're voice starts to become dangerous, and they need to transform." Erik sighed.

"But, Operetta is forty."

"But I think she might be ten in whatever year system she seems to be growing with." 

"Alright then what do we do?" 

Raoul and Erik were sitting on the dock that they had built outside behind the Opera house. Operetta was sitting as well, kicking the water with her feet. "Turn around." Erik grabbed Operetta and kept her turned away as Raoul stripped. Erik heard a splash and let go of Operetta. Raoul was now treading in the water, silver tail swishing lazily. Erik rolled up his pant legs and let his feet dangle in the water. He handed Operetta to Raoul's open hands, who giggled as she was passed. Raoul let her swim in the water for a moment before instructing her as his father did before. "Are you ready?" She nodded. He lowered her head below the water and swam under keeping an eye on her. She had her eyes open and was smiling. He pointed to his gills and then back to her. She frowned not understanding. Raoul sighed as he forget she didn't really need to breathe like he did. So instead he made a gesture with his hands. He pointed them towards his chest and then made an wide opening motion. Operetta seemed to understand and started to thrash under the water. Raoul held on to her shoulder, keeping her still, and grimaced. This was the hard part. He could hear Erik yelling above the water, and prayed that Erik wouldn't try and stop it halfway through. That would only cause more damage. The she stilled. She looked at herself. She had a dark black tail. She smiled and breached the water, looking up at Erik. "Dad, look I have a tail." She flicked her tail upwards, showing it off. Erik looked relieved, and Raoul laughed.

As Operetta grew older, they began to notice that she held very different music interests that they did. Erik had tried to get Operetta to focus on Classical, but she didn't like that genre and refused to play Classical. Operetta loved blues especially. Erik was downtrodden that she loved such genres, but supported her none the less.

Operetta was fifty when New Orleans was host to the first animosity between the Spirits population and the Human population. 

Raoul was walking through the hallways the held the cast's rooms towards the back stage to talk to Erik, who was teaching at the moment, when he heard yelling. He stopped and turned into an open doorway. The room was shared between two of the ensemble, two ghosts if he remembered correctly. The ghosts typically stayed in their roles the longest, while the humans in the cast liked to change it up before eventually retiring. 

Inside the room, Raoul saw the two ghosts arguing very loudly. Their forms were flickered in their transparency in their anger. "What's going on here?" He sang the words and they stopped. They looked alarmed for a moment before seeming to regain their senses. "Why are you two yelling?" He again sang the words, this time to calm them. "I-I don't remember." One said, bringing her hand to her face. "It all seems so silly now." "I just felt really angry, that was all I could think about." Both looked alarmed that they had been arguing. If Raoul remembered they were very close friends. 

They reminded him of Christine and Meg. "Just don't let that happen again, fighting isn't healthy to a relationship." They nodded vigorously, and Raoul left the room to continue on his way. He put up to stress. The Opera house was putting on a new opera and Erik was being more strict.

It was only a week later when things got very worse. Raoul was off the side of the stage sitting a piano with Operetta. Erik was conducting rehearsals at the center of the stage. The cast was currently dancing to a piece that had no singing. They were putting on a production of Il Muto. Erik was taping a cane in beat with the music, very reminiscent of Madame Giry. When suddenly a body dropped from the ceiling, still hanging from a rope. The dancers screamed and drew back. "Operetta cover your eyes. Don't Look!" She instantly listened to him, covering her eyes and ducking her head. Raoul stood up and made an aborted stead towards when the body was dropped, landing on the floor, the rope falling after him. Raoul recognized the body a belonging to one of the human cast members. A large crowd had gathered around, and Raoul elbowed his way towards the body. 

"Who did this!" The crowd all drew back at his yelling. "Answer me!" he was in hysterics. A small ghost drew forwards. He had been working at the Opera since before Raoul and Erik had ever arrived. He looked very scared now. "I did." The boy looked like he was going to cry. "I don't know what happened, I just got so angry. I'd never do something like this, but I did. I saw him, and I don't know. I just wanted to strangle him, stop his blood from pumping anymore." The boy suddenly looked wild. He looked up at Raoul. "Just like you, sir. You have blood pumping in you." Raoul took a step backwards. The boy suddenly lurched forward. He began to run towards Raoul, yelling. Raoul flinched, and opened his mouth to stop the boy, but froze when Erik stepped in front of him. Erik had his cane pointed outwards, pointing into the chest of the boy. Erik looked murderous. "I'd advise you to stay away from the patron, boy." He practically spat the words. The boy suddenly changed from angered to scared before the anger took over him again. He pushed forward into the cane towards Raoul. Erik used the momentum to push the ghost onto his back on the floor, the cane now digging into his chest. "You will not harm our patron." Erik looked out on the crowd. "No one will harm or touch the Vicomte. Am I clear?" Erik's commanding voice echoed in the room. Everyone in the crowd nodded, scared. 

Erik lifted his cane, and looked down on the boy once more. "Leave. You will tell the police you murdered this man, and you will never set foot into the Opera House again." The boy nodded and raced out. "Everyone out!" The crowd dispersed, everyone running off the stage. Erik turned towards Raoul. "Are you okay?" Raoul nodded. Erik put his hand on Raoul back. 

"Is everything okay?" Raoul and Erik turned towards Operetta. "Operetta I told you not to look." Raoul glanced behind him at the body still lying on the ground. She gasped and covered her eyes once more. Erik took Raoul's hand and Operetta's and led them off the stage and towards their living quarters. They put Operetta to sleep in her room, while they went to their own. 

"The boy... I have never seen someone so angry. He was usually so quite."

Incidents like the previous one kept happening, no body else had been murdered, but it was inciting a lot of friction in New Orleans. Some people blamed the ghosts for killing the human, and anger related arguments and fights kept occurring. Raoul tried his best to keep it out of the Opera House by singing more. Operetta helped him as well as she could but she was only near thirteen in her strange way. The two's voices could often be heard around the Opera house lately. The House still prepared for their performances. The cast was uneasy, but tried to move past. 

Raoul was currently in town, shopping for books for Operetta's birthday. She loved musical books, and so Raoul was pursuing the window of a Music store, hoping to find some sheet music she would enjoy. He was looking down at his list of her favorite genres and missed the fact that someone was walking towards him. He was so unawares that he collided with that person. He took a step back but was grateful he didn't fall. The other person wasn't so lucky. 

"Oh I'm sorry." Raoul offered his had for the man to take. "I'm usually more attentive than that." The man looked up at Raoul and took the offered hand. Raoul pulled him up, and the man steadied himself. "My name is Raoul." Now he offered his hand for the man to shake. The man shook it and returned the introduction. "Louis." 

"Well I'm sorry I ran into you like that, Louis." 

"Do you live here?" Louis looked alarmed as he asked it. Raoul was simply confused. "Yes, I've lived here for a while, are you new here?"

"How do you stand all the monsters?" Louis seemed to shudder at the though.

"I'm not sure I understand what you mean." Raoul was apprehensive now.

"All these monsters, these ghosts, I don't know how you stand it. Didn't you hear, one of them killed a man." Louis looked around and behind him. "You didn't hear it from me, but I hear there's a man who plans on doing something about it." Raoul took a step back. "I have to go, Louis. I'm sorry I ran into you." Raoul turned around and walked away as he could towards the Opera house. He heard Louis call after him, "Good Luck." Raoul started to run, and he didn't stop until he made it to the Opera house. 

Erik looked up at him from his seat in their office. He wasn't wearing his mask, he didn't wear it often, only when he was teaching or when he was outside. "Ah Raoul did you get a gift for Operetta?" Erik looked at Raoul quizzically. He seemed jumpy and was panting. Erik stood up and walked towards Raoul, placing his hand on Raoul's shoulder. Raul flinched before looking up at Erik's face. Erik was now concerned. "Are you alright? Did something happen? Did you get hurt?" Raoul shook his head and paused to catch his breath. "No, no, I'm alright. I -I ran into this man that - he said there was someone who was doing something about all the ghosts living here." Erik frowned. He pulled Raoul into a hug. Raoul relaxed and rested his head on Erik's neck.

"It's alright, Raoul." Erik looked to the clock they had hanging in their office. "Come, we have a opera to put on." Raoul nodded and took a step back, drying his face. "I'll get dressed, will you meet me in the lobby?" Erik nodded. Raoul walked past him into their room. Erik grabbed his mask from his desk and placed it on, tying the small black string against the back of his head. He walked through the doorway Raoul had kept open and made his way down the hallway to the stairs of the lobby. He started his way down, but froze when someone called his name. He looked down the stairs and saw Philippe. 

"Philippe?" Erik was confused. He made the rest of the way down that stairs. Philippe clasped his hand on Erik's shoulder, smiling. "How is my baby brother doing?" 

"Philippe!" Philippe and Erik looked looked up the stairs to see Raoul racing down them. "Raoul." He greeted back, pulling Raoul into a short hug. 

"What are you doing here?" Raoul was smiling. It seemed that seeing his brother cheered him up considerably. Raoul was smiling, though Erik could still see the remainder of his fear on his face. Erik placed his hand on the small of Raoul's back.

"What? Can't I visit my baby brother and his One?" Philippe looked behind him and sneered. "Though, what you were thinking on inviting Van Hellscream, I have no idea." Both Raoul and Erik were confused. 

Erik began to usher Philippe and Raoul towards their box as the rest of guests did the same, slowly filing into the stage hall. Raoul took his seat next to Erik, and Philippe sat behind Raoul. The Opera started below them, a comedy. 

"Who is Van Hellscream."

Philippe scoffed. "He thinks of himself as a bringer of peace between humans and other species, but he is pretentious and unpleasant to be around." Philippe was gesturing madly with his hands. "He's always boasting about his many accomplishment, but is completely shady when you ask him for details. I don't trust him."

"I can't imagine what you two were thinking, letting in here." He looked at Erik, who looked back impassively. "I thought you would be more selective in who you let in your Opera House." 

"We didn't invite him."

Philippe leaned back puzzled. "Well what is he doing here? I never took him as the type to enjoy the arts."

After the Opera was over. Erik was overseeing the cleanup of the Opera while Raoul and Philippe waited in the lobby. 

"Ah you must the patron of this Opera House, What a lovely show tonight." The two turned towards the voice, seeing Van Hellscream only a couple paces away from them. Raoul stepped forward. "Ah yes, I'm Raoul De Chagny, the patron. Thank you for coming tonight." Hellscream smiled, walking closer. 

"Hellscream." He turned towards Philippe. 

"Ah it seems my reputation precedes me."

"What are you doing here at this Opera House, we are not well known." Raoul was curious. 

"I heard how humans and spirits played together. You must be proud to be the only human patron of a monster Opera house. A fine example of co-habitation. It's such shame about all those recent attacks." Van Hellscream laughed jovially. "About that, I would love to help your town, and this Opera House is where so many gather." He paused. "If you let me talk to your cast, maybe I can settle the animosity."

"I really don't think that is necessary." Hellscream laughed again. 

"Oh nonsense." He opened his bag, pulling out a music box. "A gift. It's properties supposedly calm people who listen to it, this will bring back the friendship between your cast members." Hellscream left with a nod of his head. 

"I suggest you get rid of that, Raoul. I don't trust that man." Raoul walked to a column decorated with a vase, setting the music box down. He wound it and let it play. A soft melody played. 

"It doesn't sound that bad, Philippe." Philippe glared and the two just listened until the melody ended. 

"Raoul, Philippe." The two turned towards Erik. 

"It appears that Van Hellscream has left." Philippe shook his head.

"I disagree. I don't think we have seen the last of that man."

Operetta was fifty when she began to refuse to wear formal close. Raoul was confused on why she wouldn't want to dress presentably. Operetta would wear jeans and plain shirts, instead. Erik and Raoul tried to get her to follow their example, but quickly realized it was as useless as getting her to like classical music, so they let her dress as she pleased. As long as it wasn't completely horrid. 

Operetta was sixty four when New Orleans saw the return of Van Hellscream. 

In the time after his departure, The anger related fights dwindled and soon New Orleans was back to it's peaceful co-habitation. It had been fourteen years, and neither Erik nor Raoul expected to see the man again. At first they had't even realized he had returned at all. 

Raoul had finally convinced Erik to allow them to play his Opera, Don Juan Triumphant. Erik had written it years ago, but didn't think the subject matter would be appreciated. Raoul disagreed, and finally after some time of practice, they were putting on the play tonight. It had taken even greater length to convince Erik to be the main lead. 

Raoul was walking back to their quarters, when he heard the main door open. He turned to greet whatever guest he had, but paused at the sight of Van Hellscream. Behind him was a large group of annoyed looking men. 

"Van Hellscream?" The man smiled. 

"I am simply checking back on this lovely town. It seems you fixed whatever animosity there was." Hellscream didn't sound too happy about that, but he was smiling. 

Raoul frowned. "Yes, it seemed we didn't need your expertise after all, everything was fixed by itself." Hellscream laughed. It unnerved Raoul. 

"Is there something I can help you with?" 

"I simply wish to see tonight's opera. I think it will be quite a show." A couple of the men behind Hellscream chuckled. Raoul tensed. 

"The Opera doesn't start for another hour or more. Why don't you come back with the rest of the guests." Hellscream simply shrugged. 

"I just wanted to see how my favorite human run opera was doing."

"I do not run the Opera, I am simply a patron. This Opera is Phantom run."

"Is that so? Well I will see you again tonight, De Chagny."

Raoul buzzed nervously in the Box five. He fiddled with his cravat as he watched people gathering below him. He saw Hellscream walk into the Stage hall still followed by his large group of humans. They sat at the back of the Hall. Raoul looked away unwilling to let the man ruin his night. Raoul had become so used to sharing the box with either Erik, Operetta, or both. He was bereft that he was spending the night alone in the box. Erik was back stage preparing for the Opera and Operetta was in France, spending the month with her Aunts and Uncle. 

The curtains pulled back and Hall lights dimmed signaling the start to the Opera. The stage was cast in red light. Fake and real fire decorating the background. The music started. Dancers raced out onto the stage and gathered in a large circle. The broke the circle and began to sing. The cast was well sung after years of vocal training from Erik. The female lead sang loudly in the center, a Spirit by the name of Diane. She was dressed in blacks and reds as were the rest of the cast. More dancers appeared on stage and a silent part began. Erik made his way onto the stage, singing. Though Erik had taught the cast well, his voice outpaced all of theirs. It rang loud but wondrous in the hall. 

Raoul was enjoying the Opera, but something caught his eye after Erik had made his eye on stage. Two men that Raoul recognized as part of Hellscream's group were standing in an open doorway to the left in front of the stage. Raoul tried to ignore it as his paranoia and dislike for Hellscream simply overruling his thoughts, bringing them back to the Opera. Erik's voice was hypnotic in it's passion and charm. Erik stepped of stage through a curtain and the scene changed. 

Diane came back on to the center stage and kneeled down holding a rose. Erik came back on stage, singing once more. The song was sensual. Erik slowly made his to the center of the stage with a swirl of his cloak. Diane closed her eyes, playing her part of a seduced women. She opened them, staring at Erik. She stood slowly. The tune changed and Erik changed his singing to match. The song had a more urgency to it compared to the slow beginning, but sounded softer, as if the theme had changed from lust to love. Dancers dressed all in black danced in the background of the stage, the center still of Erik and Diane. He stalked closer to her before grabbing her in a dramatic change drop in the music, and the theme seemed to change once more back to lust. Erik caressed Diane, and Raoul felt unhappy that Erik could do that on stage with Diane but not him. His eyes narrowed as the tempo increased and Erik drew away from Diane. She drew away as well and took a couple steps back. The music slowed to quietest it had been since the start of the Opera, and Diane began to sing. She was best soprano Raoul had seen since Christine. When she began, Raoul suddenly felt Erik's gaze on him. He looked to Erik, and blushed at the stare Erik was directing at him. Diane's voice echoed beautifully around the hall. The music grew louder, faster and Erik and Diane began to sing together. They climbed a pair of stairs that had been put on the stage. Meeting each other at the center of a bridge above the stage. Erik was holding Diane again, caressing her, but Raoul could see that Erik's gaze was on him still. Their singing stopped and the orchestra was left on it's own, as it too began to quiet. Erik began to sing softly, and only a few instruments played now. Then the crescendo built and Erik sang loudly. 

Erik's beautiful solo was cut short with a shot to the stage. Several more shots rang out. Raoul stood and raced out his box. The guests of the Opera too began to flee. Luckily all shot were aimed upwards or at the stage and all the cast on the stage at that time were ghosts or spirits. They wouldn't be harmed. One shot however was unlucky. The large chandelier at the ceiling of the Opera began to shake. Erik took Diane's hand and lowered her off the bridge into the arms of one of the dancers. Raoul suddenly appeared in the box again, looking down at Erik. The chandelier began to swing down from it's chains towards the stage. Raoul gasped, drawing back. The guests and the orchestra ran to the sides of the hall hoping to avoid the chandelier's wake. Many people were screaming and the chandelier finally crashed at the base of the stage, erupting into a fire. The bridge shook, before collapsing, taking Erik down with. 

Raoul was knocked back as a wave of people charged past him. He was trying to get to the stage, to Erik but there were too many people running against him. He tried calling for Erik, but it was in vain. There was too much noise. He saw Hellscream calmly walking out of another pair of doors. Anger raced through Raoul. He charged towards him, grabbing his arm, and stopping Hellscream from leaving. 

"What have you done!" He had to yell to to be heard over the crowd. Hellscream sneered, laughing. 

"I have done as I was supposed to. When I heard this town had not cracked in on itself, ghosts and Humans pitted against each other. I had to end it all. In a place where everyone would be gathered."

"You have killed innocents!" Fire was drawing near them. 

"Don't call those monsters innocents!" They were both yelling. Hellscream pulled his arm out of Raoul's grip. 

"And now this Opera house will burn, destroying those monsters. It's a shame you have to go down with them. We could have been allies, if only you saw those monsters as I did."

Siren's typically only transformed under water, but if they were ever in danger above ground, they had learned to half-transform to defend themselves. This night was the first time Raoul ever half-transformed. He brought his arm wide, bringing his claws down Hellscream's face, leaving a cut that would definitely scar. 

Hellscream yelled in pain, drawing back. "You're one of them!" he drew a gun out from his coat and pointed it at Raoul. Raoul's eyes widened. Suddenly a sword swung down on Hellscream's hand, causing him to drop his gun as he clutched his arm.

"Erik! You're okay." Raoul smiled. Erik looked a little burnt, his clothes charred, smoking, and surprising still sporting the black mask, but he was uninjured. Erik was holding a sword with both hands. He smiled at Raoul before turning to Hellscream. He swung at Hellscream again, slashing at his chest. Hellscream yelled but stood up. Three men wielding guns appeared behind him. He smiled cruelly. 

"Well this has been fun, but I must really be leaving. Don't move if you don't wish to be shot." Hellscream spat, turning around and climbing over ruble brought down in the fire. He disappeared in the haze and smoke. Raoul began to cough, and Erik's attention was on him again. He wrapped his arm around Raoul, who was bent over, coughing from the smoke inhalation, and ushered him out. Raoul tripped once or twice, but Erik kept him from hitting the floor. As they exited the burning Opera House, the change in air was almost instantaneous. Raoul inhaled large breathes of clean air. Erik looked up at the large crowd that had amassed, but couldn't find Hellscream anywhere. He growled in anger as firefighters appeared, pushing the crowd back. Erik let Raoul be manhandled on to a stretcher were he was given an Oxygen mask, to help circulate the smoke out of his lungs. 

The Opera house was burned beyond saving. It's was condemned, set to be destroyed in short time. Hellscream wasn't found. He wasn't even connected to the crime. Despite Raoul's testament, Hellscream had an alibi and nearly forty eye witnesses saying he was in Europe at the time. Raoul and Erik were currently living in the De Chagny country manor with Operetta. She had been devastated at the new of the news of the Opera house. Raoul was trying to find somewhere where they could live and work, but almost every place was unsuitable. It was Eloise who gave him a news letter, one day at the manor. She was currently visiting with her own One and children. Operetta loved hanging with her older cousins. The three would swim almost every day in the lake. 

They had been eating breakfast when Eloise dropped the paper onto the table. 

"What is this?"

"I'm tired of you and your One mopping over your Opera House. This is a school in America. It's looking for a music teacher. Operetta can take classes there as well. She needs to start high school right?" Raoul looked down at the paper, picking it up. The paper advertised for a school in New Salem. 

"Monster High?" He looked up quizzically at Eloise. "It's a school for monsters." Raoul smiled, excited. 

"That would be perfect for Operetta!" Raoul frowned. "It's rather far."

Eloise rolled her eyes. "Raoul please, transportation is cheaper and easier now. Don't worry about the distance."

"I'll bring it up with Erik, but Operetta's opinion matters too." 

"You can't keep her away here in the manor. She's a teenager, she needs to have friends and experience life. Meet her One, if she has one."

Raoul nodded. Eloise smiled and patted Raoul on the head before opening the door outside to the lake. 

"What do you think?" Erik gave a humming sound in response. The two of them were sitting in their room in the manor. They had a few candles burning to have light, but nothing as bright as electric lights while the others in the manor were trying to sleep. Erik was currently reading through the sheet of paper on Monster High. 

"I think it might be worth the chance. It's located in another town with a high creature population, the school is well credited, and teaching pays well. Not that we are short on money."

"I don't think we need to worry about money, Erik."

"The class is at night, I would have to pull some strange hours, but we worked those before with the Opera House."

"How do you think Operetta will like it?" Erik paused looking straight ahead before answering. "France isn't her home, I think she will miss New Orleans, but she is also old enough to know that this change might be good." Raoul sighed, nodding. 

They waited until Operetta came down for breakfast before broaching the topic. She was a little upset, but took it in stride, making the best of it. 

Most of their belonging burned in the fire, so they traveled lightly to New Salem. Raoul bought a nice house not far from the school. It wasn't as big as the Opera House or any of the De Chagny Manors but it was still a large house. There were some trees around the back of the house, but no expansive forest. The pool was the same. Raoul tried to get a house with a pool large enough for him and Operetta to share, and he was very proud with what he was able to find. Raoul planned on spending the two weeks before the start of the school on buying new furniture. 

The weekend before the classes started, Raoul and Erik were supposed to visit the school, and meet the headmistress. When that day did arrive, Raoul and Erik got into a small car they had brought with them from France and drove the short fifteen minutes to school. The pulled up to the school, parking around a curve in the curb. The two of the stepped out and looked up at the expanse of the school. 

"It's very Gothic." Erik nodded. 

They stopped their assessment of the school for a moment and walked closer to the main doors. At the base of the stairs to the doors, they saw a women, decently aged, dressed in a purple frock coat over a white shirt as well as black trousers. She was smiling at the two of them, her hands clasped together in front of her. 

"Welcome to Monster High. I am Headless Headmistress Nora Bloodgood." She offered her hand out for the two to shake. Raoul took the offering and shook her hand, smiling softly. She looked strangely at him, but made no comment on what she was thinking. She looked back to Erik before saying. "You must be Mr. Phantom." She turned to Raoul. "And I presume you are Mr. De Chagny." She turned and began to climb the stairs. "Follow me." She pushed open the doors and held them open for Erik and Raoul to follow after her. Gothic was right. The entire school was decorated in dark purples and black. Raoul looked at the lockers as they paused and was disquieted to note that they looked like coffins.

"Our school offers a wide variety of classes. You have your required basics, such as Math and Sciences. But Monster High also boasts many extra curricular clubs and electives. Your daughter can take any class she wishes to enjoy." She turned to Erik and pushed a door open on the hallway they had turned down. "This is where you will be teaching Haunted Music. The class doesn't start until after regular schools hours, and you aren't expected to arrive until after 9:00 Pm." The classroom was darkly lit with a few candles placed around. There were too large coffin shaped windows that let light stream in now, but would serve no purpose at night. There were instruments strewn around and a large Piano and Organ at the back of the classroom. The Headmistress continued to show them around the school. It was dizzily large. They were touring the grounds when Raoul noticed a pair of stairs going down. It seemed strange, they were on the ground floor. 

"Ah headmistress, what's down there?" She turned to follow Raoul's pointed finger. Her eyes widened a fraction. 

"Oh, those are the school's catacombs. We don't quite know how far they expand. They are rather large and it is easy to get lost, so I advise everyone not to go down there if they can." 

They neared the end of their walk and were back at the front of the school. Bloodgood pulled a pamphlet from her coat and handed it to Erik. "There is a list of all classes and clubs that Monster High has to offer. I recommend going over that with you daughter, Mr. Phantom." Erik glanced at it before handing it to Raoul, who had his hand reached out to grab it. Raoul leafed through it's contents, ignoring the look of confusion Bloodgood was sending him. "This is great, Headmistress." Raoul smiled. He pocketed the pamphlet and waved his hand in good bye. She waved goodbye as well and turned to enter the school, but paused halfway up the stairs, her hand on the railing. "Oh, before I forget gentlemen, two weeks from now we are having a parent's afternoon where you can walk around the school, meeting other parents and talk with you daughter's teachers. I hope to see you there, Mr. Phantom." She turned back around and continued her march into the school. 

Raoul grimaced. He had never seen so many different species. It was overwhelming. The school was packed to the brim with the parents of all the students of Monster High. There were mostly un-dead people, Raoul recognized Ghosts and Spirits, but there were so many more than he had ever seen. There were people who appeared to be rotting. That smell almost had Raoul gagging. 

They had just passed their fifth zombie. "Be glad Erik you cannot smell." Erik turned to look at him a smug smile on his face, well the one half that wasn't covered by his mask. Though Erik looked smug, Raoul could tell that he was just as overwhelmed. In the tightness of his jaw and in his shoulder which hadn't relaxed the entirety of the afternoon. Raoul could also see it very plainly in the fact that Erik had not kept himself tangible the whole trip. Every hall opened up to new creatures Raoul had never seen before. There what he could only amuse were vampires, werewolf, and what looked suspiciously like a reanimated skeleton. Though Raoul was continually let down that he had not seen a single other Siren. The Monster High parent population seemed to be bare of them, excluding him. 

All of Operetta's teachers they had met at the time were nice and inviting, they were what made this trip in the afternoon worth it. The crowded hallways didn't. It didn't help matters that often as he walked through the halls with Erik, some of the other parents called out a word directed at Raoul. He didn't know what it meant. He had never heard it before. It certainly wasn't a word for Siren. Raoul didn't even know why they were calling him this word, it was rather unceremonious. 

What was a Normie? 

They were almost done at the school. They had already talked to the last of Operetta's teachers, and the hoped to leave and return home. The hallways had thinned considerably. But a crowd had gathered, blocking one of the hallways. It was annoyingly the hallway the needed to get down to get out of the school. The two of them edged their way through the crowd and halted at the start of a circle the crowd had created. In the circle were two men. Though one of the men had a bull's head. Raoul's eyes widened. The Minotaur was towering over the smaller man. The smaller man was talking, annoyed up at the Minotaur when the Minotaur brought his hand down across the man's face, causing him to lose his footing and fall to his feet. From his kneeling position, the man hunched over and screamed. The scream shocked many people in the crowd including the Minotaur. The man hunched in on himself, and gasped lightly as spasms shook his body. Then he stilled. A voice deeper than what Raoul had previously heard from the man came out of his mouth. He looked different, Raoul realized. It hadn't instantaneous but happened slowly, slow enough that Raoul almost didn't notice it. The man was now taller, but still no taller than the Minotaur. His hair was lighter. His face seemed to have changed slightly as well, but the most different was that his eyes were now red. 

"I advise you to walk away before I hurt you." The Minotaur laughed. 

"Oh yeah, what can you do?" The man sneered. In a sudden act that seemed to happen in a blink of an eye. The man grabbed a cane from a bystander's grip, a vampire likely, and snapped it over his knee. Splintering it into a sharp weapon. He lunged at the Minotaur and used the momentum to knock him onto his back. The Minotaur groaned as the man lifted the weapon threatening over his neck, ready to bring it down. 

"Gentleman, desist!" Bloodgood elbowed her way into the center, pushing aside everyone. "What's going on?" She paused, looking at the scene before her. "What do you think you are doing, this is a school not a fight club!" The man slowly got off from sitting on the Minotaur's chest, but still clutched the broken cane. Bloodgood glared at everyone in the crowd. "Everyone, move on. Mr. Taur. Come with me, we have much to talk about antagonizing people." She turned to the man. "I will come back for you later." 

Raoul and Erik watched as the man hunched over again, shifting back into whatever he had been before. He looked around, confused, but annoyed as well. He dropped the cane, and muttered angrily to himself. He suddenly caught the the gaze's of Raoul and Erik and stood up straighter. "Oh, I didn't know there were any other Normie parents. I thought I was the only one." Raoul looked to Erik confused. "What do you mean, I don't know what a Normie is. Why is every one calling me that?" The man's eyes widened once more. "Uh-It's a name, just another word for calling humans, It's short for normal." 

"I've never seen a human do what you have just." Erik commented. The man turned towards him. "Well, I'm not completely human. But I'm not a monster as well, not completely." He gasped suddenly. "Oh I haven't introduced myself, my name is Henry, or Dr. Jekyll if you prefer. I'm afraid you have also unfortunately made introductions with Mr. Hyde" Henry winced before muttering angrily to himself again. 

Raoul suddenly spoke up. "But I'm not a human." Henry squinted his eyes. "You look normal." Raoul pulled back his shirt collar to display his gills. "I'm a Siren." Henry made an 'O' shape with his mouth, but made no actual sound. Bloodgood suddenly reappeared down the hallway. She began to call for Mr Hyde, but winced before calling for Jekyll. 

"I hope we meet again." Jekyll smiled. "Maybe our children know each other, My son's name is Jackson. My other son's name is Holt." 

"Our daughter's name is Operetta." Henry looked like he wanted to say more, but stopped when Bloodgood called for him again. He smiled and waved good bye as he walked towards Bloodgood. 

"What a strange man." Erik muttered. Raoul laughed. "Like your one to talk, Erik." Erik scoffed, but placed his hand on the small of Raoul's back, leading him down the hallway towards the exit.


	3. Greetings from New Salem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter. Just didn't really know what to write.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dad - Erik   
> Father - Raoul

Operetta's fingers stilled on the organ. She could feel the familiar humming telling her she needed to transform. She scowled. She hated transforming in the catacomb. The only water to be found was murky, unclean or already inhabited by other sea monsters.Operetta sighed, she wanted to wait till she got home and just transform in the pool, but that meant she was going to feel stretched the entire day. 

After a moment or two in the silence, she heard shuffling. She turned towards the box next to her organ. The curtain was pulled back and Jackson sat on one of the chairs. He had his headphones on and was holding some notebook paper. Homework, Operetta idly thought. 

"Jackson!" She yelled. She had to if she wanted to be heard over his headphones. They really could block out sound. She leaned over and tapped his shoulder. He jerked up surprised before relaxing at the sight of Operetta. "I thought you were playing?" She nodded. "I was. I got distracted." He frowned before making a silent 'O'. Jackson spent every one of his free periods down in the catacombs. It was away from the rest of the Monster High student population, and was quite. Relatively. The headphones worked much better on just her noise than the whole student bodies. He spent his time next to her because it didn't like being alone in the catacombs. It was a justifiable fear, there were things in it's expanses that could do damage. Operetta didn't mind him being there, they were friends. And it gave her company as well. They had come to a understanding with each other and shared many things they were scared of telling others at the school. They both knew what it was like to have two dads, something no one at the school ever seemed to consider about them. Every one knew Jackson was the son of Dr. Jekyll, but they forgot that Mr. Hyde was apart of Dr. Jekyll. It was easier for their friends to keep the two separate in their minds. Nobody else knew that Operetta's dad wasn't her only parent, there was her father. It wasn't as if her father was shy about being seen at the school either. The two of them supported Operetta in clubs and after school activities. Her father could also been seen hanging in the Haunted Music classroom, but nobody had ever put it together, and Operetta was sure how to bring it up in conversation. It was rather tangent from any conversation. 

Since she didn't know how to bring it up the fact she had another dad, she also did not know how to bring up the fact that she was half Siren. They had never even been to her house. Operetta was fairly certain her friends thought she lived in the catacombs. And Jackson had so many things to tell her. They shared their secrets. He knew she was half Siren, and she knew that him and Holt weren't like how their friends thought them to be. Their friends always assumed the two didn't get along or that they couldn't even talk directly to each other, but both could hear the other in their mind. They often talked to each other. If the far away look they could get were any indications. 

So, Operetta, Jackson, and Holt all liked to dump their frustration on each other. But it was easier when someone else knew. 

"Do you think your going to go home during lunch?" He had pulled out a pen and was scribbling away furiously on the paper. She frowned, confused. "Why would I do that?" He looked up. "So you can transform. You always say how it bothers you when you haven't in a while." She looked back at the organ. "Both my parents are home, they wouldn't like if I was skipping." Jackson was frowning as well now. "Wouldn't you father understand?" She scoffed. "Please, he's worse than me about putting it off." He laughed softly. Jackson had met her father before, and he thought that revelation rather fit the man he had met. Their households were sorts friends. They would meet occasionally, though Operetta, Jackson, and Holt.

"Well there are only three more periods after lunch." She turned back around. 

"What time is it?" He pulled out his phone, checking the time. 

"Almost lunch, maybe another ten minutes."

Lunch at Monster High was glaringly loud compared to the quite Operetta liked to enjoy in the catacombs. Operetta always brought her own lunch, not trusting of what the school served. She doubted her stomach could stand the food. Operetta walked into the lunch room from a side door from the catacombs. She walked towards where she and her friends usually sat. Clawdeen, Draculaura, Cleo, and Frankie were already there. She sat next to Cleo and pulled her lunch out of her bag. 

"What do you think?" Operetta looked up, mouth full and confused. 

"Think of what?"

"Hanging out this afternoon." Frankie said smiling very happily. Operetta almost agreed but stopped herself. "I can't. My cousins are visiting this week. They're arriving tonight."

The other girls looked confused. "I didn't know you had cousins." Draculaura, Clawdeen, and Cleo nodded in their agreement. Operetta flushed, embarrassed. Had she really never mentioned her cousins as well? 

"Uh, Yeah. They live in France." Operetta jumped up suddenly. "Maybe you can meet them." 

"How many do you have?"

"Well I have three cousins from my father's oldest sister. Then I have one from my father's other sister. And my father's brother just had a son, but Philbert is still much to young to travel overseas."

Draculaura squealed. "Wow I didn't know the Phantom of the Opera had so many siblings." Operetta winced but before she could correct, Cleo was asking her a question. "When will we meet them?" Operetta hummed thoughtfully. "Why don't you come to my house tomorrow." She was killing several birds with one stone.

"Alright, tomorrow after school." Clawdeen clapped her hands together. 

The De Chagny household was a mess when Operetta arrived home that afternoon. There were several cars parked on the long driveway. As she opened the main door, she could discern her Uncle's and Aunts' voices as they rung the loudest in the hallway. Shoes, gloves and coats were strewn around the front hall. Turning a corner into the sitting room, Operetta saw her parents sitting with her Uncle and Aunts. Her cousins were nowhere in sight. She even looked round the sitting room to be sure. The adults looked up at her as she entered, her hand resting on the door frame. Raoul jumped, exclaiming, "Operetta!" before pulling her into a hug. She gave an 'oomph' in response as she was practically tackled by her father. He pulled away and she went to giver her dad a hug. He remained sitting, but looped his arm around her in a hug. She turned around and gave hugs to her Uncle and Aunts. 

"Uncle Philippe, Aunt Eloise, Aunt Aveline. Where is everyone else?" Philippe laughed at how cut to the chase her sentence was. Aveline smiled and pointed behind her. "There all in the water, you should join them." Operetta nodded before excusing herself from the sitting room, running out the back door to the pool. 

 

Operetta twiddled her thumbs nervously. She had brought up the idea of her cousins spending the day at Monster High to see what a monster school was like, for her cousins went to a human school in France. Her cousins were excited at the idea and somehow even her parents, Aunts, and Uncle had agreed, saying it was a fun idea. She hadn't thought they would actually agree. She was nervous how her cousins would think of her friends and visa versa. Her four cousins that were here looked nothing like her. They looked like normies, and Monster High had tentative relations to say the least with normies. Fae, the oldest had never seen another monster besides Sirens, herself and her dad. In fact most of her family had never seen another monster except her and her dad. It was strange. Her cousins were as old as her, in some cases even older. So In the nearly century that her cousins and her had been alive, her cousins hadn't seen other monsters. Roxanne swore she saw a were-beast in Gévaudan, but nobody knew how real those claims were. Victor had been living in France on his own for a decade or two already and often mentioned Gargoyles in Paris, he was the exception to Operetta's observation. Her youngest cousin, besides, Philbert, George hadn't lived long enough to see other monsters. He had only had his first transformation five years ago. 

Operetta had gathered her cousins in her car. They grumbled at waking up so soon. Operetta rolled her eyes, grumbling about viscountesses and viscounts. She was only teasing her cousins. Operetta herself was a viscountess, but she didn't think herself of one. Her parents didn't use the title. Her father only called her 'Viscountess Operetta De Chagny' when he was upset. Her whole family had stopped using titles as much as they did in the past even though they were all still nobles. Her cousins were particularly embarrassed about that, so that was why Operetta used it to tease them. Fae only shot back with a 'viscountess' back at her and got up to eat breakfast. It took a while to herd her cousins into the car, but she managed. Operetta was not willing to be late. A habit she had picked up from both of her parents, who taught the value of punctuality. Her older cousins liked to get dressed in older fashion, but Operetta assured them that was fine. Some of the vampires at the school still wore clothing from over 500 years ago. 

They rolled up to the school, and Operetta parked in the lot next to the school. Operetta had calmed a little, and was enjoying catching up with her cousins. They liked to all talk about the past. But Operetta still had some nerves. George was the only real teenager and always pouted when they talked about the past, when he wasn't alive to remember.

Operetta had started to steer her cousins to the side door she always entered the school with, but they persistently dragged her towards the main doors. Operetta could feel questioning eyes on her but held her head high. She loved her cousins and she wouldn't care what anyone thought. Well that wasn't true, she cared what her friends thought. She didn't share many classes with her friends and Operetta was starting wonder if she should have waited until her friends came over to her house. Meanwhile her cousins were gawking open mouthed at what they saw. Operetta laughed at their awe. Roxanne clapped her hands and beamed. 

"This is amazing Operetta, you see this everyday?" Operetta nodded, smiling. 

"If you think this is cool, wait until I show you the catacombs."

She smiled, before bringing her hands up to her face. "I almost forgot. I need to talk with the headmistress if you guys can shadow me today. " Operetta jogged down the hall, her cousins trailing behind her. She took a key out of her pocket and turned to face a door. She unlocked the door, opening it wide and gestured for her cousins to move inside. 

"This is dad's classroom. He doesn't teach during the day, so you guys can stay here while I talk to the headmistress." Her cousins nodded, making there way into the room. Fae took a match and started making her way around the room, lighting the candles. Operetta stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her. She wasn't gone. Bloodgood was surprised that Operetta had cousins, much like her friends had been, but then was instantly excited at the idea of news of Monster High spreading farther. Operetta made her way back to the Haunted Music room and found her cousins much how she had left them, though they were looking around the room still. 

"Come on guys. My first class is dead languages. I think you will enjoy it, Victor."

The Dead Languages classroom was already full by the time that Operetta arrived with her cousins. She quietly made her way towards open seats in the back. Some students turned back to her, but most didn't bother. The few that did looked confused at the four strangers. They turned back to face the front when Mr. Rotter snapped at them. As the day went on rumors of new normies in the school were spreading like wild fire. Operetta laughed she could already see The Daily Gossip article. 

The five of them were spending Operetta's free period in the catacombs. Operetta lazily tapped her fingers on her organ with no rhythm. She was smiling at her cousins gushing over what they had all seen. George was gushing the most.

Operetta heard the familiar rustling of curtain and turned to the box behind her. Jackson was oblivious as he usually was down in the catacombs and hadn't noticed the hush that fell over the room at his arrival. He didn't even realize that he and Operetta weren't the only ones in the large hall. 

"Jackson, hon. I want you to meet my cousins." He looked up, surprised. He scanned the people sitting next to him. His eyes glazed over before regaining focus. Operetta rolled her eyes at the obvious sigh that Holt was talking to Jackson. How people still didn't realize they could talk to each other was beyond Operetta. 

Operetta gestured to her cousins one at a time, introducing them. Jackson smiled. 

"It's nice to meet you, I'm Jackson. Operetta likes to talk about you guys." His eyes glazed over again. "Holt says 'hi' as well." At the confusing looks Operetta got from her cousins, she leaned over and staged whispered. "He's the son of Dr. Jekyll. You guys have read that one, right?" Fae, Roxanne, and Victor nodded. George shook his head. 

"I didn't realize it was real." Victor was resting his hand up on his face in a thoughtful gesture. Jackson nodded but then shook his head. "It is, but what is written in the book isn't the whole truth. Just like how that musical about your dad mixed up a few facts." He was looking at Operetta. Her eyes widened. "There's a musical about my dad?" Jackson nodded. "Yeah. My parents have one too if I remember."

"What's it called?" Jackson turned to answer Fae. "It's called the Phantom of the Opera. It's actually a pretty popular musical. Really big."

Victor's eyes widened. "Oh mon Dieu." Everyone looked at him. Roxanne laughed at the slip in language. "When I was in Paris, I actually watched a production of that musical. I never connected the dots. It's so fantastical." Operetta looked intrigued. "They even kept the same names. How did I not get it?" 

Jackson laughed. His eyes glazed over and didn't clear. His whole posture changed. A voice that was not Jackson's came out of his mouth. "Well then what did you think they got the inspiration from?" Holt teased. Victor got over his surprise at hearing the other voice and huffed. "The names are common ones. And the whole musical was outlandish. The Phantom was a man. Now mistake me if I am wrong, but my uncle is not alive." Holt nodded, still using Jackson's body. A shudder ran through him, and his posture returned to normal. Jackson blinked. "Holt! I told you to stop doing that." If Holt responded, the others would never know. 

A shrill alarm rang out in the hall. Everyone turned their heads to look at the ceiling. "Oh, that would be lunch. I'll see you later, Operetta." Jackson turned and vanished in the shadows of the catacombs. 

 

Lunch was what Operetta had been dreading all day. This was it. Now was when her friends would be meeting her family.

Operetta's fears were unfounded. 

She brought her cousins out of the catacombs through the route she typically made. She dragged them away from the food lines. Mumbling about, 'Not Safe.' Operetta could hear the other students' whispers about 'Normies'. She ignored them and seated her cousins at her friends usual table. She saw her friends eyes widen at her cousins. Operetta gestured and made the same introductions she had made with Jackson only minutes prior. Cleo frowned.

"These are you cousins? Operetta, they look nothing like you." Operetta winced. Frankie frowned at Cleo, admonishing her. 

"It's all right, Frankie. She's right." She paused. "My cousins are related to me on my father's side, and my father looks just like a normie." Lagoona looked puzzled. "But your father is a phantom right?" Operetta winced. "My Dad is a phantom. My father isn't." 

"Operetta you aren't making any sense." Draculaura looked concerned. Operetta twiddled her fingers, wishing she had her organ nearby. Her cousins were silent. 

"My father is a Siren. My cousins are Sirens. I'm half Siren, I'm only half ghost." Clawdeen's eyes widened, realizing. "You have two fathers." Frankie made a silent 'O'. "Why didn't you tell us. I've never met a Siren before." Frankie was all wide smiles. Operetta laughed, happy.


End file.
